Sweet Misery
by Li47
Summary: Charlie is currently going out with Angelo, but how will her friendship with a certain River Boy change her life? A/U...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey! Finally got around to posting this on this sight. It's a little A/U from the show, but basically Charlie is with Angelo and then a certain River Boy appears. How will their friendship change the lives of everyone involved? **

**Reviews are always welcome! Enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 1**

Angelo looked down at his watch and sighed. He had been sat outside her house for almost an hour and there was still no sign of her anywhere. Her phone rang out and there was no one else home to let him in. The longer he was left outside, the more time he had to worry about what he was about to do. He had gone over the plan multiple times in his head, and to him it made perfect sense. They had been dating now for just over a year; surely what he was about to ask was another forward step in their relationship? He thought so, question was...would Charlie agree?

Just as he was about to call it a night, Charlie came running around the corner. She was dressed in her work uniform and looked flustered as she rummaged through her bag for her keys. She looked up and spotted Angelo and smiled.

"Oh hey! What are you doing here?" She kissed him lightly on the lips as she moved past him to open the door, holding it open for him to follow her.

Following her inside, he closed the door and took a deep breath. "I actually need to talk to you about something."

"I'm sorry, I got caught up at work and now I'm running late!"

"Running late?" Angelo threw her a confused stare.

"Yeah, there is a Year 12 presentation on at the school. I was supposed to meet Ruby like 20 minutes ago!"

She rushed into her bedroom with Angelo followed closely behind her. She proceeded to remove her uniform while Angelo took a seat on the corner of the bed.

"You said you wanted to talk to me about something?" She started as she browsed through the wardrobe looking for something to wear. Ruby had mentioned wanting to introduce Charlie to someone important so she wanted to make sure she looked presentable.

Suddenly Angelo wasn't so sure. Timing for this had to be perfect. "You know, it can wait if you need to get going."

Charlie spun around and looked at him as she hopped into a pair of dark jeans, wriggling the denim up over her hips.

"I'm listening...go on!" She gave him an encouraging smile so he decided to bite the bullet and ask her.

"It's actually about Angelo's..." He had bought the restaurant just over 6 months ago and at first things had been running smoothly. However recently, that was far from the case. "Things aren't going great at the minute. I'm loosing more money than what is coming in."

Charlie nodded sympathetically. She knew that things had been rough lately. She had noticed how stressed Angelo had been lately and knew that business was obviously starting to take it's toll on him.

She nodded for him to continue, wanting to see what this had to do with her.

"If I don't do something about it soon, I doubt there will be a restaurant for much longer..." He dropped his head into his hands. Charlie stopped getting ready for a second and took a seat beside him. Wrapping her arm around his shoulders, she gave him a comforting squeeze.

"So what are you planning to do?"

He paused before looking up at her. "That's where you come in..." She frowned at him. "I need you to invest in the restaurant."

Her eyes grew wide as she looked at him. Removing her arm from his shoulders she sat back slightly, going over what he just said to her.

"What?"

"It makes perfect sense, Charlie. And once things pick up, you'd be making profit on your investment."

Charlie remained silent for a minute, while Angelo studied her face, a hopeful expression on his own.

She eventually spoke. "I can't Angelo. I'm sorry."

He grew defensive. "What do you mean, you can't? I'm asking you to help out your boyfriend." His tone came out slightly harsher than he wanted, and she picked up on it immediately.

Now it was her turn to grow defensive. "No, Angelo. What you are asking is for me to part with a large sum of money."

He stood up, trying to calm his annoyance. "It is only temporary."

"And what if it's not? I can't take that risk, Angelo. Ruby will be going to uni soon and I just can't be making risks like that on a whim!" She ignored the angered look on his face as she fished around in her drawer for a vest top to accompany her jeans.

"A whim? This is my business, Charlie!" This was not how he imagined the conversation going.

"Exactly...your business. Not mine. I'm your girlfriend, Angelo. I don't wish to be your business partner as well, no matter how temporary you think it will be!"

She checked her appearance in the mirror and after applying a fresh splash of mascara and lipgloss, she checked her phone and sighed.

"I really have to go. You'll have to find someone else to invest. I'm sorry." She walked over to him and leaned in to kiss his lips but he turned his face away from her and she caught his cheek instead. Rolling her eyes, she walked out of the room leaving him to think about what he was going to do now.

The school hall was packed with students and parents. Gina and various students had been planning this evening for weeks, wanting to use the night as a way of celebrating Year 12 achievements as well as giving the student council a chance to air a debate. A table at the back of the room provided refreshments. Casey stood patiently in the queue, and eventually made his way back to Ruby, drinks in hand.

"Here you go!" He handed her the drink and smiled. "Are you sure Charlie is going to like me?" He had tried to control his nerves at meeting his girlfriend's mother but as the time got closer he found his nerves creeping to the surface.

Ruby took his hand in hers and smiled. "Of curse she will. Who couldn't?" She gave him a quick kiss before checking her watch again. "She should be here by now..."

She hadn't told Casey but she herself was nervous. Casey was a River Boy and she knew the reputation that they had, and Charlie would know it too seeing as she were a cop. Ruby just hoped that her mum could see past the stories and like Casey for who he was.

Casey looked over to the door and spotted his brother making his way through the crowds to them.

"Here's Brax!"

Ruby followed Casey's gaze and smiled.

"Casey, sorry I'm late!" He apologised. The pride was evident on Brax's face. An education and a life away from the River Boys was all Brax wanted for his baby brother, and Brax was on his way to getting his wish. "Hey Ruby."

Charlie made her way into the school, searching for her daughter as she went. She had used the walk to the school to try and clear her mind from her previous conversation with Angelo. Part of her felt bad for saying no but the other part of her stuck by her decision.

Entering the school hall, Charlie quickly scanned the crowd and found Ruby almost instantly. She was engrossed talking to man, who from the back was fairly well built and dressed in a pair of jeans and a checked blue shirt. There was a younger boy to his left, and Charlie sensed that this was who Ruby was keen for her to meet.

Ruby spotted Charlie and grinned, excusing herself from the group as she made her way over to her mum.

"Hey!" Ruby hugged her.

"I'm really sorry I'm late, work was just a nightmare."

"It's ok. Come on I want you to meet someone before we start." She grabbed Charlie's hand and led her over to Casey, wanting to get the meeting over with. "And please, be my mum for tonight and not a sergeant."

Charlie didn't understand what Ruby meant but she didn't have time to think it over. Two sets of eyes were suddenly on her as Ruby made the introductions.

"Mum, this is Casey...my boyfriend." Ruby slipped her hand into Casey's and smiled, glancing nervously at Charlie while she waited for her reaction.

"Hi Casey, it's really nice to meet you."

Casey sighed a breath of relief. "You too."

The other man cleared his throat and they all turned to face him.

"Oh God I'm sorry." Ruby started. "This is Casey's brother, Brax...well Darryl Braxton."

Braxton. She had heard that name somewhere before. Charlie smiled at him as she extended her hand to him. "Hi, I'm Charlie."

He mirrored her smile as he took her hand in his own. Their hands remained linked for a few extra seconds as they looked at each other. Brax immediately noted how beautiful she was, and the sensation of her hand in his gave him a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"It's really nice to meet you, Charlie."

Hearing him say her name brought goosebumps to her skin, immediately pulling her out of her daze and back to reality. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and smiled.

The moment was interrupted by Gina announcing that they should take their seats. Ruby and Casey rushed off to join their friends, leaving Charlie alone with Brax. They smiled awkwardly at each other.

"Shall we sit?" Charlie asked.

"After you..." He gestured for her to sit before taking a seat beside her.

"Braxton...the name sounds familiar?" Charlie asked. She couldn't place where she had heard it before. She glanced around the hall before her eyes fell back on Brax.

Casey had told Brax that Ruby's mum worked for the police and he knew that if he was going to impress her, discussing the River Boys wasn't the way to go about it.

"It does?" He met her gaze and smiled.

"Ruby and Casey seem to be pretty close."

"Yeah. She has been a really great influence on him." Brax smiled. There was clearly something special about these Braxton girls.

The presentation quickly started, and Charlie had to try her hardest to concentrate. She caught him stealing glimpses at her, which immediately made his cheeks turn red as he looked away. She tried to stifle her laughter as Brax acted like nothing had happened.

Two hours later, the evening was coming to a close. For the most part, the presentation had been fairly boring until Casey and Ruby had made their appearances. Brax and Charlie had whispered occasionally through it, keeping themselves entertained through the boring parts.

Ruby and Casey rejoined them after it had finished. They too looked just as bored.

"I didn't think it was ever going to end!" Ruby groaned, placing herself into Casey's embrace. The others agreed.

"I didn't think it was all that bad..." Brax stated, glancing slightly in Charlie's direction. Charlie smiled.

Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, she took it out to find a message from Angelo.

"Shall we go to the Diner?" Ruby suggested.

"Yeah, I'm game. Charlie?" Brax was keen for the night not to end; he wanted to spend more time with this beautiful woman.

"There's actually somewhere I need to go..." She wanted to stay but knew that she couldn't. "It was really nice to meet you both." She smiled at Casey an Brax before kissing Ruby goodbye.

Brax watched as she walked away, knowing that he couldn't wait to meet her once again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey! Thank you all so much for the great reviews! :) Sorry it's taken me so long to upload the second chapter, tried a few days ago and couldn't get it to load and have only just had a chance to get back on a comp! **

**Anyways enough from me, will upload another chapter later this evening too :) enjoy.. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Angelo strolled into the restaurant early that morning, wanting to get a head start on what was going to be a very important day. Switching on the coffee machine, he waited for the machine to warm up before making himself a large drink. Glancing at the clock, he worked out that he had just over two hours to get everything ready before his new business partner was due in. He had been a bit apprehensive at first, the offer would have usually been something he would have walked away from. But due to the timing and pure desperation, he found himself suddenly with a new partner and a chance of hopefully turning business around.

Before he knew it, an hour had passed. He gathered the necessary paperwork together and placed it to once side. He was about to make himself another coffee when the sound of footsteps floated up into the restaurant. He looked up just as his new partner entered the room.

"You're a little early, aren't you?" Normally he would have been impressed but instead he felt cautious.

He simply shrugged. "I wanted to get everything ready. See how the place runs." He walked further into the restaurant, glancing around at the new surroundings that were now partly his. "Shall we get started?"

The two men stared at each other for a moment. Angelo was the first to look away, reaching for his mobile.

"I just have a quick call I need to make. I'll be right back." He excused himself and walked out of the restaurant, dialling the all too familiar number as he went.

After a few rings, a sleepy voice filled his ears. "Good morning lovely. I was just calling to see if you are working today?" He listened intently, a smile forming on his lips. "Brilliant. How about you meet me at the restaurant in about an hour? I just have some business to finish up and then I'm all yours."

It had been a couple of days since their argument about the restaurant and Angelo was keen to put it behind them. He had been making a special effort with her over the past two days, something which hadn't gone unnoticed by Charlie. They finished making plans before Angelo headed back inside, ready to face his future.

Charlie had jumped out of bed following her early morning phone call. After grabbing a quick shower, she dried and styled her hair before agonising over what clothes she could wear for the occassion. Angelo hadn't been too specific on what they were going to be doing for the day, but a quick glance outside the window told her that she would have to wear something summery. She eventually opted for a pale blue summer dress and sandals.

After checking herself out a final time in the mirror, she decided that she was ready to go. She was greeted by Ruby in the kitchen, who was stood at the counter staring into a cup of coffee.

"Morning." Charlie kissed the side of her head as she passed.

"Morning." Ruby replied, followed by a yawn. "You like nice..."

Charlie smiled. "Thanks. I'm spending the day with Angelo. What are your plans for today?"

"Casey is coming over. We're going to do some studying." Ruby gave her mum another kiss before walking out of the kitchen to get ready.

"Studying! Sure..." Charlie muttered under her breath as she too made her way out of the house.

"So the invoices just go in here?"

Angelo looked up at his question and nodded. So far, and to Angelo's annoyance, he seemed to be picking up things at a fast pace. Angelo had to keep telling himself that this was just a temporary fix, and he should really be looking at it as a favour and not a hindrance. However, just being in this man's company put him on edge and he didn't like it.

"Yes."

He was greeted with a smile. If Angelo had been blunt that morning, his partner hadn't shown any sign of picking up on it. Or if he had, he had managed to hide it well.

"So, are you working here all day? Or can I just get on with things?" He asked, hoping that the answer would be the latter.

Angelo checked the time before answering. "I'm not working this afternoon. There will be two other staff on with you though, so you shouldn't feel too overwhelmed."

Realising that Charlie would be here any second, he left a quick list of what should be completed that afternoon. He had barely finished speaking when he looked up and spotted her in the doorway. He couldn't contain his smile as he excused himself and went over to greet his girlfriend.

"Hey you." He kissed her passionately on the lips. "You look beautiful."

She smiled at the compliment and gave him another peck on the lips. "Thank you. Are you ready to go? I can't wait to see what you've got in mind." She replied with a small wink, leaving Angelo to laugh slightly.

"I'm almost done. I guess I should introduce you to my new business partner..." He gestured at the man sitting at the bar with his back to them.

Charlie smiled. "Oh my God, you found someone? You never said anything?" She was happy for Angelo, but part of her was happy that this news meant he would no longer be pushing for her to invest.

"I didn't want to say anything until everything was a done deal. Come on, I'll introduce you two." He took her hand in his and led her over to the bar. Charlie gave his hand a small squeeze.

"Charlie I would like you to meet, Darryl..."

The man spun around in the chair at the sound of Angelo's voice and looked at the new company. They both were taken aback; the surprise evident on both of their faces. Her hand slipped out of Angelo's.

"Brax...hi!" Charlie gave him a warm smile which he was quick to return.

"Hey Charlie."

Angelo watched the exchange, a puzzled look stretched across his face. "Wait...you two know each other?"

Charlie glanced at Angelo, feeling the situation suddenly get a little awkward. "Er...yeah. We met at the school the other night."

"Yeah...I'm Casey's brother." Brax jumped in, trying to diffuse the weird situation. He still didn't quite understand why Charlie was there, but something told him that he wouldn't get the chance to ask anytime soon.

"And Casey is?" Angelo was suddenly feeling like he wasn't being included in something; a feeling which he immediately disliked.

"Oh...Ruby's new boyfriend. I must have forgotten to mention it." She shrugged, trying to act a little dumber than she was. She wasn't entirely sure why she hadn't mentioned Ruby's new boyfriend to Angelo, but now that that information was out, it was looking a lot worse than it probably was.

"Oh." Angelo studied them both. He noticed how Brax's eyes barely left Charlie's face, which suddenly made him feel rather possessive. His arm found it's way protectively around Charlie's shoulders. "Well, we best get going. If you have any problems, call me."

Brax's gaze focused on Angelo's arms around her and then it hit him. _Of course she is already taken._ He felt like such an idiot for even thinking that anyone as amazing as Charlie would be single for long. His mood dipped and he wished for them to hurry up and go and leave him to wallow in the news.

"Sure. Have fun." He gave Charlie one last half smile before turning back to the stack of paperwork in front of him.

"Bye Brax." She sensed the change in his mood and felt a little bit responsable. Maybe she had given him the wrong idea the other night; she was attracted to him and may have flirted, but had she meant to cause him any harm? She didn't have chance to ponder this thought as Angelo was keen to usher them out of the restaurant. She risked one last look at him sat alone at the bar, and felt her heart pound in her chest.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me that Brax was your new business partner." They had been walking in silence along the beach for at least ten minutes before Charlie eventually broke the silence.

Angelo watched her out of the corner of his eye. His grip on her hand loosened ever so slightly. "I can' t believe that you didn't tell me you'd met Brax."

Charlie shrugged. _Surely it wasn't such a big deal?_ "Like I said, Ruby introduced us the other night at the school. He seems like a really nice guy." She regretted saying it immediately as the wince on Angelo's face was far too obvious.

"You are the last person I would have expected to hear those words from."

Charlie frowned at him. "And what do you mean by that?" She was failing to see where this conversation was headed but she knew it couldn't be anywhere good.

"Because of their reputation. Surely as a cop you should know that the River Boys are trouble..."

"The River..." She trailed off as it suddenly hit her. That is why the name was so familiar to her. Darryl Braxton was one of the River Boys. The complaints about a surf gang from Mangrove River had been flooding in ever since the group decided to hang out more in the bay. Charlie had had a fair few runnings with a Heath Braxton, but she had missed the connection between the two when they had been introduced. "I can't believe I missed that..." She said, more to herself but Angelo heard.

"Missed what?"

Charlie ignored his question as she worked through the thoughts in her head. _He is a River Boy. He is bad news. His brother is a well known criminal who...and his brother is dating my daughter._ The second revelation hit her hard. It felt as though her stomach were in knots.

"Ruby!" She exclaimed, leaving Angelo feeling more and more confused.

"What?"

Charlie turned to him, panic creeping onto her face. "There's somewhere I have to go. I'm sorry, can we finish this later?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. Instead, she kissed him on the cheek and ran across the beach, eager to get home and save her daughter.

Reaching the house, she threw open the back door and searched for signs of life in the kitchen. None. "RUBY!" She yelled as loud as she could. The run over had been filled with stories she had heard and experienced while handling the new River Boy complaints. None of them were good, and none of them were anything she would want her daughter to be exposed to. _I knew the idea of them studying was too far fetched._ "I need you talk to you!" She shouted as she made her way into the living room and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh."

Ruby and Casey were sat at either ends of the dining table, an array of books and paper spread open in front of them. They both looked towards Charlie, a confused look on both of their faces.

"Charlie? Is everything ok?" Ruby put down her pen and studied her mother, who was too busy figuring out the scene in front of her.

"You guys are studying..." She immediately began to feel stupid and judging by the heat that was coming from her face, her cheeks were turning scarlet.

"Yeah...I told you that this morning. Remember?" Ruby looked back to Casey, who looked just as puzzled as she was. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

Charlie froze in the doorway, suddenly feeling small. "Nothing. I must have been mistaken." She made her excuses and hurried out of the house.

_What the hell am I doing?_

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! Reviews make me very happy... :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you again for the kind reviews! :) Really brighten up my day.. **

**Enjoy :) **

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

It was half way through his day and Brax still couldn't shift his mood since Angelo and Charlie left. He didn't know why he cared so much, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get everything out of his head. Get her out of his head. He forced a smile on his face as he walked out of the kitchen door carrying two pizzas. He placed them down on the designated table and spun around just in time to see Heath walking into the restaurant.

"Wow...someone certainly has landed on their feet." Heath remarked after glancing around the restaurant. Brax ignored his comment, walking away from him and behind the bar. Heath followed him and took a seat. "I'll have a beer...please." His voice had a smug undertone, something which Brax wasn't in the mood for today.

"Are you going to pay for it?" Brax snapped, knowing fair well what the answer would be.

"My bro practically owns this joint now...I should hope my paying days are over."

Brax rolled his eyes and opted to get Heath a drink. Slamming the bottle down on the counter, he glared over at his brother. "That'll be the only one that's on the house."

"Geez, uptight much? What's got you so wound up?" Heath took a swig of the drink and placed it back on the counter, his eyes examining Brax.

Brax shrugged off the question. "It's nothing. What are you doing here?"

Heath leant forward on the counter, closing the gap between them. "I wanted to talk to you about business."

Brax knew that after hearing Heath say those words could lead to nothing good. "Business?" He kept his voice low, not wanting anyone in the restaurant to overhear them.

"Yeah. This place could be the perfect little cover up. So should I get things in motion?" He whispered, looking at Brax hopefully.

Brax stopped what he was doing and glanced around the restaurant before focussing his attention back on Heath. "Look, I don't want a part of whatever it is you have planned. And don't you dare bring it into my business or it won't just be the police you will have to worry about." He threatened before walking away to clear some tables. This business opportunity was supposed to be a new start for him, and for Casey, the last thing he needed was Heath messing everything up.

Heath watched Brax work for a moment as he finished his drink. One his way out of the restaurant, he stopped Brax and pulled him over to one side. "I'm sorry." He apologised, even though he knew that deep down it wasn't him who Brax was in a mood with. He knew his brother well enough to know that there was something else going on. Brax didn't comment so Heath continued. "Me and a couple of the boys are going for a surf later on, meet us down at the beach? It might help to clear your mind."

Heath patted his brother on the shoulder as he walked out, leaving Brax to consider his options.

Charlie knocked lightly on the front door, and waited patiently for a reply. After making a quick apology to Ruby, blaming her outburst on hormones, Charlie had made herself scarce. She dreaded to think what Casey must have thought of her now, and Ruby had looked far from impressed. Angelo soon opened the door, pulling Charlie from her thoughts. The surprise on his face was evident.

"Charlie!"

She smiled sheepishly at him as she took a step towards him. "I wanted to apologise to you for running out on you before." She leant forward and kissed him, resting her forehead on his as they pulled apart. "Can we carry on with our day?"

"Of course we can, but is everything ok?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him.

"Yeah...yeah...it was just a false alarm! Shall we go back to the beach?" She hoped he didn't notice the blushed look on her face, and by the look on his face she had gotten away with it.

"Ok." He smiled at her as he ran back into the house and grabbed his keys before joining her back in the doorway.

"Look who's decided to join us." Brodie commented as he spotted Brax walking down the beach towards them, his surf board tucked under his arm.

"Leave it eh!" Heath warned. Over the past few weeks they had seen a lot less of Brax, and a few of the boys were far from impressed, although none of them would say it to his face.

Brax dug his board into the sand as he greeted the boys who he had once considered family. As much as he enjoyed being a part of the River Boys, he was beginning to want something more in his life. Something which didn't always involve being in trouble with the law.

"I thought we were meant to be surfing?" He joked. They all grabbed the board as they ran towards the water, Heath raced to catch up with his brother.

"I'm glad you came."

Brax smiled at him. "I only did it so I could beat your ass at the surf!" He winked at him as he dived into the cool, ocean water.

After picking up some food and drinks from the Diner, Angelo and Charlie headed towards the beach. Charlie picked a spot which was fairly deserted, a luxury which was hard to come by in the summer months. Sitting down beside her boyfriend, she leant over and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"What was that for?"

"Being you."

She smiled at him as she started eating the salad box she'd chosen for lunch. Angelo copied her smile as he too started eating his own lunch. Charlie's eyes settled on the view in front of them; the sun bounced off the waves as they came creeping up the shore. A group of surfers came into view as they emerged out of the waves, the distant sound of their banter filling Charlie's ears.

"They seem to be having a good time." She commented, causing Angelo to follow her eye line.

"Looks like the River Boys...no doubt they'll be causing trouble again." Angelo replied harshly.

Charlie looked at him for a minute before glancing back down at the group. The majority of them were now leaving the water, dressed only in board shorts which left the water dripping across their half naked bodies. Something which was attracting a view stares from girls passing by. Charlie qiuckly noticed him in the crowd, and watched him for a second as she temporarily got lost in her own thoughts.

Angelo noticed that she was distracted. He was beginning to think that bringing the River Boys, or River Boy, into the situation was starting to backfire on him.

"Charlie..." He spoke softly and she turned her head to smile at him. The minute she was facing him, he grabbed hold of her face and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She responded to his advances, and caressed the side of his face as the kiss deepened.

A bit further down the beach, the surfer group had just finished drying themselves off while teasing Heath over the fact that Brax had surfed better than he had. Heath was starting to grow tired of the abuse and chose to ignore them, his eyes scanning the beach for a distraction.

His eyes stopped at Angelo and Charlie. "Oh hey, isn't that your new business partner?" He gestured up the beach as Brax turned around and caught the last few moments of Angelo and Charlie's kiss. He felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach.

"Yeah I guess." He turned around, not wanting to torture himself any longer.

"She seems hot!" Heath commented, not realising from that distance that she was the police officer that he hated. The police officer that always seemed to go out of her way to make things difficult for him.

Brax sighed as he picked up his board and headed back towards the water. "I'm going for another surf."

After saying goodbye to Angelo, Charlie decided that she would head to the store to buy some food to cook for Ruby. Part of her still felt guilty for her outburst that morning, and the other part just wanted to spend some quality time with her daughter. After buying far too much food and some wine for herself, she headed back to the house and froze as she walked into the kitchen. Stood in the doorway of the living room was Brax.

"Brax?" The surprise was clear in her voice. He spun around to face her, and gave her a small smile.

"Oh hi. I'm just picking Casey up." She returned his smile as she placed the shopping on the counter. "I'm just waiting for them to pry themselves apart." He joked which caused her to laugh.

Ruby and Casey eventually joined them, their arms around each other. "Are you sure you can't stay for dinner? We could finish watching that film..." Ruby begged, discretely winking at Casey. Brax tried to hide his smile. _To be young and in love..._ He glanced at Charlie who was also doing the same.

"No, we should get going..." Casey tried not to sound too disappointed.

Charlie glanced down at the array of food she had just bought and smiled. "You two are more than welcome to stay for dinner. There's enough for four." She shrugged, trying not to make it seem like such a big deal.

Ruby and Casey immediately perked up and looked to Brax to agree. Brax stared at his brother who was nodding at him, urging for him to do the same.

Brax gave in. "Ok, only if you're sure..."

Ruby and Casey didn't need to be told twice. They rushed back into the living room, leaving Brax alone with Charlie.

"I can't promise it'll be the best meal you've ever had though..." They smiled at each other. "I bought some wine, would you like some?"

He nodded as she opened the bottle and poured two glasses, handing him one and taking a sip of her own. They made general conversation while Charlie began cooking. Brax offered to help, but she politely declined.

Leaving everything to simmer, they took a seat at the table outside.

"They're awfully quiet in there..." Brax commented. Since they had agreed to stay, there hadn't been a sound out of Ruby or his brother.

Charlie giggled as she sat down. "Teenagers!" She rolled her eyes, taking another sip of wine before she glanced over at him.

"So, how does somebody like you get involved with the River Boys?" She asked, hoping that he would be able to satisfy her curiosity.

He exhaled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. She noticed the change in him, which only sparked her curiosity further. "Ah, you know..."

She nodded. "Yeah, I saw you with them today at the beach."

Brax kept eye contact with her for a moment before continuing. "The River Boys...it's more something you are born into,rather than join." He took a mouthful of wine, watching as she nodded again, listening intentively.

"Growing up in Mangrove River...you know, it's full of gangs. One of them is bound to find you eventually. But those boys...as bad as they are in the eyes of the law..." His comment caused her to smirk slightly. "They are my family. Well for a while, they were the only real family I had. But it's not a life I want for Casey. It's barely a life I want for myself anymore..." He took another swig of the wine as he forced himself to look at her, expecting to see a look of horror or disgust on her face. He was surprised to find quite the opposite.

"Why don't you want that life for Casey?" She paused for a minute, realising how nosey her question had sounded. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that."

"No, it's fine. He's better than that. I mean, I'm sure you've had enough run ins with Heath to know what he is like. But Case, he's different. He's the one who is good at school, who is going to make something of his life."

"Don't underestimate yourself. It seems to me like you're starting to turn your life around. Investing in Angelos...that's a really good start. You're nothing like the other River Boys."

Her words filled him with a new found confidence. "Thank you."

She shrugged it off and smiled. "What about your parents? Are they supportive of Casey and his schooling?" She had experienced many gang related parents who were opposed to their children going down the educational route. She hoped it wasn't the same for Casey, as he seemd like a great kid. It would be a shame for something to stand in his way.

Brax sighed. "Well my dad took off at the first opportunity he got. And mum...well her love for her family stops at the liquor store. I guess you could say that I'm all the family Casey has."

Charlie felt bad for him. Looking at him, you wouldn't know that any of this was happening behind the scenes. It was far too easy for people to judge them before they actually got to know them. She excused herself for a moment to check on dinner, returning to tell him that it wouldn't be much longer. He decided it was her turn to be grilled.

"I saw you and Angelo together at the beach today." His comment made her blush slightly. She wasn't sure why but she had hoped he hadn't spotted them. "How long have you two been together." He sat back in his chair, his eyes studying her.

"A little over a year. We met at work actually."

"What? He used to be a copper?" He couldn't hide his surprise. Angelo hadn't mentioned his past, not that Brax had thought to enquire. He couldn't believe that not only was he crushing on a cop, he was now partners with an ex-cop. _The boys would have a ball with this information._ He knew he would have to keep that information on the downlow for now.

Charlie nodded, surprised at how little the new business partners clearly knew about each other. "Yeah, we worked together for a few years before anything came of it. He is one of the good guys. I guess in the end he decided that he needed a change. I suppose it happens to us all eventually." She fidgetted with edge of her wine glass as she spoke, her eyes occassionally darting up to look at him. The smile never left his face as they spoke. It was endearing.

"And on that note...I think dinner should be about ready..." She giggled nervously, the effects of the first glass of wine starting to take it's effect. He followed her into the kitchen, heading into the living room to find Ruby and Casey locked in a passionate embrace. He cleared his throat and they immediately jumped apart, a sheepish look on both of their faces.

"I think dinner is ready..." He rushed back into the kitchen so they wouldn't see him laughing at them.

"What's so funny?" Charlie asked, after seeing the amused look on his face.

"Romeo and Juliet in there. I'm surprised one of them hasn't suffocated the way they were behaving."

They both laughed as he helped her dish out the meal. They both moved around the kitchen as Charlie directed him as to where he could find plates and the various utensils that they would need. With Leah's kitchen only being small, Charlie found that they were constantly brushing up against each other, something which was beginning to make them both a little nervous. Thankfully Ruby and Casey walked in which broke the atmosphere a little.

After dinner, Brax helped Charlie clear the dishes. "Thank you so much for dinner. I hope you didn't put you out too much."

She reached across and touched his arm, which made his breath catch in his throat slightly. "Of course you didn't." She'd moved away from him almost as quickly as she'd touched him, much to his dismay. "Shall we finish off the wine before you break up the happy couple?" Charlie laughed, as she poured the remainder of the wine into the two glasses. They remained in the kitchen, both standing side by side, leaning up against the counter.

"How are you liking it at Angelos?"

"It's great, he has a really good business going on. I do get the feeling though that Angelo has a slight problem with me."

"He takes a little time to warm to people. It's the cop in him." She joked. Brax laughed for a second before his face turned serious again.

"And what's the cop in you saying?"

She didn't have a chance to answer as knock on the kitchen door caught their attention. They looked away from each other to see Angelo stood in the doorway. He was clearly annoyed.

"Angelo...hi!" It came out a little more drunk than she had hoped. She put down the glass of wine and smiled at him. "What are you doing here?"

Brax too put down his glass and glanced nervously at the floor. _As if the guy doesn't dislike me enough already..._ Angelo stared between the two of them.

"I came to see my girlfriend. But clearly I should have called." He replied sarcastically, glaring over in Brax's direction.

"Brax and Casey stayed for dinner." She glanced quickly at Brax before looking back at Angelo. His expression failed to change.

Brax pushed himself up from the counter and headed towards the living room. "I best make a move...Casey!" He called, ignoring the cold stare which Angelo was giving him. Casey quickly said his goodbyes to Ruby before thanking Charlie for dinner.

The five of them stood awkwardly in the kitchen for a minute. Angelo hadn't moved from the doorway.

"Right then...thanks Charlie." Brax threw her an awkward smile as he headed to the door. Angelo still hadn't moved so Brax had to squeeze past him. Angelo's eyes didn't leave Brax, until he had walked out of sight.

He turned his attention back to Charlie. "A cosy dinner in eh?"

She rolled her eyes as she put the empty glasses in the sink. "It wasn't like that at all. He came over to pick Casey up and Ruby asked if they could stay for dinner. That's all there was to it." She turned back around to face him but his face failed to soften. "Are you coming in?" Her eyes were fixed on his as she waited for his answer.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'd just like to say a huge thank you for all your kind words! And for those of you who have added this/me to your subscription list...wow, I'm honoured :) **

**Next chapter will be up tomorrow! **

**Enjoy! :D **

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Angelo's phone vibrated in his pocket as he made his way through the Surf Club and up the stairs to the restaurant. Rejecting the call, he opted to turn his phone off. Charlie had been calling him all morning and so far he had managed to successfully dodge each of her attempts. He still wasn't ready to talk to her after storming out on her the night before. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the worry that had settled in the pit of his stomach. It had all seemed perfectly innocent; a mother having dinner with her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend and brother. That wasn't the issue. It was the identity of the brother which made Angelo feel so uneasy.

Entering the restaurant, he felt his temper blur as he laid eyes on Brax stood behind the bar. He was sorting through invoices while holding a conversation with one of the waitresses. Something she said made Brax laugh loudly, but on catching a glimpse of Angelo his laughter quickly died down. He muttered something to the waitress and she glanced at Angelo before walking away and continuing with her work, a sheepish look on her face.

Angelo strode over to the bar, walking past Brax as he made himself a coffee. Standing with their backs to each other, both men remained in silence, waiting for the other to speak. Realising that Angelo wasn't going to back down anytime soon, Brax spoke up.

"Morning." It was simple, yet didn't seem to have much of an effect. Even though he had his back to him, Brax could tell that Angelo wasn't planning on responding.

Grabbing the books from under the bar and his coffee, Angelo walked right past Brax and took a seat at a table, quite a distance away from the bar. Rolling his eyes, Brax put down the invoice he had been studying as he followed his business partner.

Leaning on the chair opposite where Angelo was sat, he stood in silence for a minute as he studied the man in front of him. Angelo hadn't even bothered to look up. Brax took a deep breath before continuing.

"If there is something bothering you, you should just come out with it." Brax kept his voice low so that the rest of the staff didn't hear them. Angelo finally looked up at him, his face remaining straight.

"What could possibly be bothering me?" He replied sarcastically, his eyes scrutinizing every inch of Brax's face.

Brax stared back at him. "So this is the part where you tell me to stay away from your girlfriend, right?"

Angelo couldn't help but scoff at the question. His face suddenly changed, taking on a smug expression much to Brax's disgust. "I don't have to. Charlie isn't stupid, she'll soon figure you out for what you really are."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Just another River Boy." Angelo spoke each word slowly, knowing that with every word he would be hurting Brax in someway. Brax could feel the anger boiling up inside of him as the two men stared coldly at each other.

Brax knew he had the upper hand. "Well you were quite happy to take this River Boy's money." Angelo momentarily looked away from him, knowing that for once Brax was actually right. "So you might want to consider that next time you think you have something to say."

Brax snarled him as he walked away but there was the sound of a chair screeching behind him as Angelo followed him. "I haven't finished." Brax stopped in his tracks and spun around. "Just because you might temporarily own half of this restaurant, doesnt mean that the rest of my life is up for grabs too. Charlie is off limits; you might want to consider that next time you start to think otherwise."

Angelo stared at him for a moment before brushing past him and heading into the kitchen. Brax rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze falling down to the floor. _This is going to be one long day!_

Heath pushed his foot down on the pedal, as he steered the car down the empty road. His fingers drummed on the wheel in time with the radio, which he currently had blasting. He sung along to the occassional song, loosing himself in the freedom he felt being on the open road. He'd received a call from Brax a little while earlier to ask him to join him for a drink that afternoon. Apparently he had been getting grief from work and needed to vent. Heath was only too happy to agree.

The sight of flashing lights caught his attention in his rearview mirror. As the sound of a siren began to make it's way through the loud music, Heath threw his head back against the headrest and sighed. "Shit!"

He pulled the car over to the side of the road. The drumming on the steering wheel had now turned into a pounding. His run ins with the police were becoming far too frequent and Heath was beginning to grow tired of it; even though most times he probably deserved the attention they were giving him.

The police car pulled up behind him and a slender, dark haired woman exited the car. Pulling a cap over her hair, she slowly made her way over to the car. She stopped outside the window, a smirk on her face as she realised who was in the car.

"Ah, Mr Braxton. This is becoming a bit of a habit don't you think?"

Heath rolled his eyes at her. This woman was beginning to grate on his nerves; she seemed to be going out of her way to catch him doing anything. The look on her face told him that she too felt the same way, although she did get a bit of a kick out of busting him each time.

"I know. If you just asked me out, we could stop all this pretending..." He winked at her. If he looked past the fact that she worked for the enemy, he had to admit that she was pretty hot. Not that he would ever date a cop; they all knew that was a territory you just didn't step into.

The smirk fell off her face as she stared back at him, holding out her hand. "License and registration please."

He sighed as he reached into the glove compartment and removed the documents, slapping them into her hand.

"Do you realise how fast you were driving back there?"

"Couldn't have been very fast, considering a chick managed to catch up with me..."

She ignored his comment as she walked away from the car for a moment to radio in his details. Heath watched her every move in the wing mirror. She returned a few moments later and handed him back his paperwork.

She issued him his fine before giving him a final warning. He nodded along like he was listening, but she knew that in most cases it went in one ear and out of the other. He watched as she drove away, fuming at his latest run in with this woman. He knew deep down that it wouldn't be long before they met again.

Brax continued his shift, making sure that he avoided Angelo whenever he could. Angelo was clearly doing the same, as the pair of them barely spoke all day. Charlie had continued to try and call Angelo while she had been at work and he eventually caved in and answered. They had a brief conversation on the phone and agreed to meet up for dinner that night. The more he thought about it, the more he realised that she hadn't really done anything for him to be angry with her for. The issue he had rested solely with Brax and the problems that being in partnership with a River Boy was starting to present.

Brax finished his shift and waited around in the restaurant for Heath to arrive. He didn't have to wait long for Heath to arrive, looking just as fed up and annoyed as Brax felt. Angelo watched silently as Heath greeted his brother, whispering something to him before looking over in Angelo's direction. Angelo had to admit that he felt slightly uneasy being the object of Heath Braxton's attention; after the stories he'd heard about him he knew he was somebody that you were best to avoid. He managed to hold his gaze though, not wanting to look as though was afraid of a gang of thugs.

"Leave it man." Brax patted Heath on the shoulder, pulling Heath from his stare. "It's not worth it. I'll see you tomorrow Angelo." Brax called over his shoulder as he lead his brother out of the restaurant and down the stairs into the Surf Club.

"So what's with you today? You don't look paticularly happy?" Brax enquired as they entered the Surf Club. They made their way through the crowded club, heading towards the exit.

Heath's eyes were focussed on the doorway as he watched a familiar face walk in and stop at the juice bar. "Her. She is my problem." Brax looked at Heath before following where he was looking. "That's the bitch that got me for speeding this arvo!"

Brax recognised the face and smiled. After paying for her drink, Charlie turned around and spotted him. She smiled as she walked over to him.

"Hi Charlie."

"Brax." She replied, taking a sip of her drink.

"How are you?" He couldn't contain the smile on his face, although he knew that after his conversation with Angelo that morning he was heading into dangerous territory.

Heath's mouth dropped as he watched the interactions between the two. _He knows this woman?_

"I'm ok. Just been for a run!" She explained, suddenly feeling very conscious of the fact that she was dressed in a tracksuit and vest top. Although judging by the smile on Brax's face he didn't seem to mind her wardrobe choices. She turned her attention to Heath, who had been studying her intently. "Hi Heath." It was the first time that they had spoken when it hadn't had anything to do with the law.

He ignored her, and turned to Brax. "We best get going..."

Charlie and Brax looked at each other and then back at Heath who was growing impatient. "Can you give us a second?" Brax asked his brother, much to Heath's dismay.

Heath rolled his eyes. "I'll wait for you outside. Hurry up." He gave Charlie a final glare before leaving them alone.

Brax looked down nervously at the floor before gazing back up to her. "I'm sorry about him."

Charlie shrugged. "It's fine."

They remained silent for a moment, before Brax broke the silence again. "I hope I didn't get you into much trouble last night? We shouldn't have stayed for dinner...I'm sorry." He knew that if Angelo had been giving him a hard time, God only knows what he had been like with Charlie.

"You didn't get me into trouble, don't worry. And you were invited, you have nothing to apologise for." Her words brought a small smile to her face. "He hasnt given you a hard time today, has he?"

Brax looked away from her and she immediately knew the answer. She sighed. "No, not at all." He hated lying to her, but the last thing he needed was to get her into anymore trouble.

She knew he was covering for Angelo, although she didn't want to push the issue any further. "Well, I best get going. I'll see you round." She gave him a friendly smile as she walked out of the Surf Club, passing Heath on his way back in.

Brax stood there, grinning at the spot where she had seconds ago stood. Heath interrupted his happy mood.

"Oh hi Charlie." He mimicked Brax. "You're friends with the cop?" He sounded more annoyed than he was when he arrived.

Brax shrugged. "Yeah I guess I am. She's Casey's girlfriend's mother." Brax tried to explain the situation hoping that Heath wouldn't see through him to the truth. But unfortunately for him, Heath knew his brother better than Brax had anticipated.

"You fancy her." He stated.

Brax blushed. "No I don't. And besides, she's Angelo's girlfriend." Brax sighed; he still couldn't believe his bad luck.

"That's easily rectified." Heath nudged Brax as they made their way out of the Club.

Brax shook his head. "No. I don't want her to get hurt."

They walked along in silence for a moment, heading towards Heath's car so that they could drive to a different bar. Suddenly Brax remembered what they had been talking about before Charlie turned up and he slapped Heath around the back of his head.

Heath ducked his head with the impact and glared across at his brother. "What was that for?"

"Speeding Heath, really?"

Heath's mouth fell open for the second time that day. "Are you kidding me? You've been friends with this woman for two minutes and you're already taking her side."

Brax ignored his comment as they finally reached the car. "Just cut it out." Brax warned and Heath knew by the tone of his voice that Brax meant it. This woman was messing with Brax's head and Heath didn't like it one bit.

**Thoughts? :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you once again for all the reviews and subscriptions! :D Will post the next chapter tomorrow... :) **

**Happy reading...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 <strong>

Angelo watched silently from behind the bar as Brax walked out of the kitchen carrying two plates. Brax glanced in his direction, causing Angelo to quickly look away. The tense relationship between the two men had only worsened over the past couple of weeks, although Angelo couldn't help but notice the increase in business since Brax had started. That was one thing he was at least thankful for. After serving the table, Brax joined Angelo behind the bar.

"Not a bad turn out for lunch!" Brax commented as he flicked through the reservation book, causing his smile to grow. "And fully booked for this evening!"

"Things have certainly picked up." Angelo commented, his voice remaining flat.

Brax ignored him. He was beginning to get used to Angelo's ways, much to the annoyance of the other man. Charlie kept telling him that he would eventually let his guard down around him, but Brax was starting to get the feeling that that would never happen.

Before either man had chance to say anything else, Brax's phone vibrated in his pocket. He smiled at the caller ID before answering.

"Case, hey! What's up?" He continued looking through the book as he talked, although after a few seconds into the conversation he froze. "Woah, Casey. Slow down. What's going on?" Angelo glanced over at him as he tried to listen into the conversation. Brax's face fell as he listened to his brother on the phone. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

He hung up the phone and walked past Angelo. "I'm sorry but I have to go." He ignored the protests from Angelo as he ran out of the restaurant.

Charlie glanced at her watch as she sat at her desk. Her shift was nearing it's end but the last hour of it seemed to be hitting a standstill. Angelo had called her earlier that morning to inform her that he was taking her out that afternoon after her shift. She had no idea what he had in mind but he had sounded excited about it on the phone. Deciding that maybe a change in scenery might help the rest of her shift progress, she picked up her now empty coffee cup and headed into the lobby of the police station.

Watson was stood behind the main desk, talking on the phone. She smiled at Charlie as she wrote down snipets of the phone conversation before hanging up.

"Domestic disturbance in Mangrove River." Charlie listened as Georgia gestured to her notepad. "A Cheryl Braxton..."

Charlie's face fell slightly. "Braxton?"

"Yeah, a neighbour just called it in. I'm on my way to check it out now."

Charlie paused for a moment before continuing. "You know what, I'll go with you." Before Watson had time to protest, Charlie had gathered her things and followed her out of the station.

Watson pulled the car to a stop outside the house. Brax's car was parked in the driveway. Walking towards the house, they could hear the shouts coming from inside. Charlie threw Watson a look before pushing open the front door and charging inside.

A drunk Cheryl Braxton was stood in the middle of the living room, screaming at a frightened looking Casey. Charlie immediately noticed a cut on the side of his head; the blood staining the left side of his face. Brax stood in between the two, blocked Cheryl from getting anywhere near her younger son. The look of relief at seeing Charlie was quickly replaced by one of embarrassment. He tried not to make eye contact with her.

"See Mum, now look what you've done. The police are here!" Brax yelled back at her, although the older woman didn't look overly bothered.

"Talk to him about the police." She pointed angrily in Casey's direction, who was now just staring down at the floor. "Have you boys not listened to anything I've ever taught you? First school, Casey and now shacking up with a Pig's daughter?" Her words were slurred and her eyes barely open, but regardless her insult had the desired impact. She picked up her wine glass. She downed the remainder of the drink before launching the glass towards her sons. They moved out of the way as the glass collided with the wall and shattered onto the floor.

Charlie quickly moved towards Cheryl, standing between her and Brax. "I'm going to have to ask you to calm down, Miss Braxton." Cheryl spat in Charlie's direction, but thankfully due to her alcohol intake she missed and it hit the floor. She stumbled back slightly, just as Watson stepped forward and caught her, bringing her hands behind her back. Charlie heared Brax sigh behind her. Watson took out her handcuffs and fastened them around her wrists.

Cheryl screamed louder than before as she tried to resist the hold Watson had on her. Charlie nodded at the door and Watson dragged Cheryl in the direction of the front door. Charlie turned to face Brax who still wouldn't look at her.

"Casey, go and clean yourself up." Brax spoke quietly as Casey followed his orders and left the room.

"Brax..." Charlie took a step towards him, reaching out her hand to touch his upper arm. The hurt look on his face was calling out to her but his pride got in the way.

"Don't, Charlie." He moved out of her reach, ,running his hand threw his hair as he walked out of the front door.

Now that she was alone in the room, Charlie glanced around at the product of Cheryl's drinking problem. Empty liquer bottles littered the room, accompanied by a path of broken ornaments and shattered glass. Charlie sighed as she followed Brax. She was stopped at the doorway by Watson.

"She's secure. We'll come back and take the statements?"

Charlie glanced over Watson's shoulder as she spoke, her eyes falling onto Brax. He had his back to them as he stared at the police car with his mother in the back seat. Charlie didn't know what he was going through; her upbringing had been a little different. But she couldn't help but feel like she had to help him in whatever way she could.

"You take her to the station. I'll finish up here." She tore her eyes from him and focused again on Watson. Her collegue nodded at her before heading back to the car and started up the engine. Brax watched the car drive away before he realised that he wasn't alone.

Charlie took a deep breath as she walked towards him, stopping at his side. He finally looked at her and she noticed the water that had built up in his eyes.

"What's going to happen to her?"

"We'll let her calm down at the station. She'll be given a warning unless Casey is wanting to take this further? She is the reason he has a cut on his face?" She asked him, placing her hand on his back. She already knew the answer before she'd even asked the question. This time he didn't back away from her but he did look away.

"He won't want to press charges if that's what you mean." His voice came out a little colder than he had wanted and he immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry you had to witness any of that."

He moved away from her and walked over to his car, resting against the bonnet as he dropped his head into his hands.

"You don't have to apologise for that. You don't have to be going through this on your own." She stood in front of him, willing for him to look at her but not wanting to push him too far.

He eventually raised his head to meet her gaze. "Look, I get that you are just doing your job but I..."

She cut him off before he could finish. "I'm not just doing my job."

They stood in silence, their eyes locked. The pain and anger was visible on his face as was the concern on her own. Eventually Charlie spoke, reaching out and taking his hand in her own.

"Come on, let's go for a drive." She gestured at his car and reached out for his keys. "It'll do you good to get this off your chest. I can come back and get Casey's statement later on..."

Brax shook his head. "I dont think so, Charlie..."

"Come on. Don't make me arrest you..."

For the first time that day Brax smiled. "For what exactly?"

Charlie smiled back at him and shrugged. "For erm...ignoring police advice." She pulled a confused face at him which caused him to laugh. He wasn't sure how she was doing it, but he was starting to feel better. "Keys?"

They had been driving up the coast for twenty minutes before Charlie turned Brax's Ute into a parking space at a beach. The drive there had been fairly quiet, Brax had been lost in his thoughts and Charlie wanted to give him some time before their talk.

Sitting together on the beach, Charlie glanced at Brax as he stared out towards the water. "So, do you want to tell me what happened back there?"

"Are you asking me as a cop?" He turned to look at her and saw the genuine concern on her face.

"No, I'm asking as your friend."

He sighed as he tried to figure out where to start. "Mum hasn't been having a good day. She spent all last night on the slots, and I don't know when she started this latest drinking session but it's continued for most of today." He stared down at the sand, running his hands over the warm grains. "I was at work when Casey called. She came home and found him in his room studying and she just flipped. She told him she wanted him to quit school and get a job."

"Surely she would rather Casey received a good education?"

"Don't get me wrong, she wants what's best for him. But in her head, that doesn't involve school. And it definitely doesn't involve Casey dating Ruby. She wants us all to be as far away from the police as we can be." He hated saying the words just as much as he hated the change on Charlie's face as she heard them.

"Oh..." She nodded along, trying not to take it personally.

"That might be my mother's view, but it's not mine." He forced eye contact with her and hoped that she would know he wasn't just talking about Ruby and Casey anymore. Her smile told him that she understood.

"So then what happened?"

"She started screaming at him; throwing whatever she could find at him. That's when he called me."

"I'm so sorry, Brax." She placed her arm around his shoulders.

He sighed as he stared up at the sky, feeling the frustration building up in him. "I've tried so hard to keep him from seeing her like that. No matter how bad she is, she's still his mother. He shouldn't have to see her in that state."

"And neither should you. You can't keep all of this to yourself. Do the other River Boys know how bad things are?"

Brax laughed slightly. "The boys...they have my back. I know that. But having a heart to heart with them isn't really their style." Charlie couldn't help but smile at the thought of the group confiding in each other. It definitely went against the image they all portrayed to everyone else.

Charlie pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back lightly. He responded and wrapped his arms tightly around her, breathing in the sweet smell of her perfume. He closed his eyes as he felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. After a couple of moments they pulled apart and smiled at each other.

"Thank you, Charlie." The hint of sincerity in his voice brought a warm smile to her face.

"Anytime. It's what friends are for."

As they continued calling, Charlie failed to notice her phone flashing in the sand beside her with Angelo's name highlighted on the screen.

Charlie walked into the Diner and noticed Angelo sitting alone at a table. A cup of coffee was placed in front of him. She could tell by the look on his face that he was annoyed, and she knew that an argument was surely to follow. Taking a deep breath, she headed over to him.

"Hey, I'm so sorry I'm late."

"2 hours late, Charlie." He remained staring down at his coffee as she took a seat beside him.

"I know. I got caught up. I'm sorry, I should have called...things just got a little hectic." She reached across the table and rubbed his hand which caused him to look up at her. The anger on his face had subsided slightly but he was still acting cold.

"This day is just getting from bad to worse. First Brax decides to just walk out on me and then..."

"Lay off him, Angelo." She cut him off. He wasn't sure whether it was her abruptness or her defensiveness which offended him most.

"What?"

"You don't know what's going on with him. You giving him a hard time right now, isn't going to help anyone. Just give the guy a break." She was growing bored of having to tell Angelo to leave Brax alone all the time, as he clearly wasn't getting the hint on his own.

Angelo frowned across the table at her, moving his hand away from hers. "Why are you sticking up for him all the time?"

"Somebody has to. You seem to be going out of your way to make things difficult for him."

His eyes studied her face as he glared across the table at her. "Where were you this afternoon?" He questioned. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to know the answer or whether or not he already knew it.

Charlie shrugged as she stood up. "I was helping out a friend. Now drop it. Are you ready?" She walked out of the Diner, leaving Angelo to sulk behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Once again thank you for all the reviews! I'm so happy you are all enjoying this! **

**Next update will be Sunday :) **

**Enjoy...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6 <strong>

Charlie stood silently in the kitchen doorway, watching as her best friend poured herself a cup of coffee. Leah turned around and noticed her, gesturing at the kettle.

"Do you want one?"

Charlie nodded as she stepped further into the room, wrapping her dressing gown tighter around her. Leah was already dressed and ready for work. She handed Charlie her drink as she poured milk into her own.

"Leah, do you mind if I ask you something?"

Leah gave Charlie a warm smile which immediately put her at ease. "Of course you can, is everything ok?"

"Yeah everything is fine. You and Miles...you're good friends, right?" Leah nodded so Charlie continued. She was thankful for the cup of coffee in her hands; it gave her something to focus on as she tried to make sense of her thoughts. "Have you ever thought of him as something more than a friend, even though you probably shouldn't?"

Leah silently considered Charlie's question before answering. "It's not something I try to do, but maybe once or twice the thought has occured to me." Charlie felt the knot in her stomach settle slightly as she heared the words she had been longing for. "You know, we get along really well, we care for each other, he makes me laugh; it's easy to fall into that whenever I'm feeling down about being single. But then just as quick as I have the thought, I tell myself that it's a bad idea. Once you cross that line, there's no getting the friendship back."

Leah noticed the changed on Charlie's face, and couldn't help but feel concerned. "Charlie, what's this about?"

Charlie quickly forced a smile on her face. "It's nothing." She glanced at the clock. "I'm going to be late for work. I better get changed." She hurried from the kitchen, with Leah following closely behind her.

"Wait, we're still on for tonight, right?" Leah called after her, causing Charlie to stop in her tracks. Her mind raced through her schedule for the week as she tried to figure out what Leah was talking about.

Leah sensed her hesitation and rolled her eyes as Charlie spun around. "Angelos? Come on, we haven't had a girl's night for ages. Plus Bianca is really excited!" Leah trailed off, hoping that Charlie wouldn't want to disappoint two friends by declining.

Charlie smiled. An evening with her best friends and some wine might just be what she needed. "I'll be there don't worry."

Charlie and Watson walked out of the Diner, each carrying a cup of coffee. It had been a slow morning at work so the partners had decided to take a coffee break and get some fresh air out of the office.

"Are you ok? You've been quiet this morning?" Watson asked, throwing Charlie a concerned look.

Charlie took her sunglasses off her head and covered her eyes, knowing that Watson wouldn't be able to tell that she was lying. "I'm just tired." She forced a smile as she took a sip of her drink. Watson seemed to buy it as she didn't push the issue further.

After her argument with Angelo the other day, it had taken him a day or two before he apologised. He had promised her that he would try a little harder to get along with his business partner, although Charlie was still far from convinced. She was confused and the more she thought about it the worse she began to feel.

"I think we should check that out." Watson informed her, nodding down towards the water.

Charlie followed her gaze, settling her eyes on a group of River Boys partying on the beach. Charlie could see that they were drinking, and judging by the noise that was coming up from the beach they had been drinking for a while.

Charlie found her heart beating faster as the two women made their way down the shore towards the group of rowdy men. _Please don't be there._

The men didn't notice their arrival until Georgia spoke up, causing them all to turn to face them. "Don't you think it's a little too early in the day to be drinking, boys?"

Charlie silently scanned the crowd before her eyes found him. She was thankful for the sunglasses; at least he wouldn't notice her looking at him. Although that didn't stop him from stepping out of the crowd and walking towards the two women, dressed only in a pair of board shorts.

_Why does no one wear clothes around here?_ Charlie groaned to herself as she pushed the glasses to the top of her head and made eye contact with him.

"Officers, I'm sorry. We were just leaving." Brax glanced at Watson, before focusing his attention on Charlie, a small smile on his face. Charlie tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she glanced behind Brax.

"We've been looking for some chicks! Join the party!" One of the boys shouted, as the rest of the crowd cheered him on. Brax's face dropped as he turned around and glared at the group. They immediately shut up.

Charlie was about to say something but Brax cut her off. "I'm sorry. We're leaving now, there won't be anymore trouble." He threw her an apologetic smile.

"Consider this a warning..." She aimed her comment at the other men but her eyes eventually fell back onto Brax.

They looked at each other for a minute before her and Watson walked away. One of the crowd wolf whistled loudly at the two women, only for the sound to be interrupted by Brax's voice.

"Shut up you idiot. Go on, get lost."

Charlie couldn't help the smile which appeared on her face as she walked away.

Charlie, Leah and Bianca made their way through the Surf Club and up the stairs in Angelos. They had each made an effort for the evening, opting on tight colourful dresses and high heels. For a Friday night, the restaurant was packed but they managed to eventually find a table. Charlie glanced over towards the bar and was slightly disappointed to not find the face she was looking for behind the bar.

"I'll get the first round. White, or red?" After deciding on a wine choice, Charlie made her way to the bar. As she gave her order to the bartender, Brax walked out of the kitchen. His smile grew as he noticed Charlie standing at the bar.

"I'll take care of these." He dismissed the bartender as he continued to pour Charlie three glasses of white wine.

"Hey."

Brax smiled back at her. "Hello yourself. I'm sorry about earlier on."

She shrugged as she returned his smile. Work was the last thing she wanted to discuss right now but she appreciated his sentiment all the same. "It's ok. How's things back home?"

Brax sighed as he finished pouring the last glass. "Still the same. Mum's pretty much refusing to talk to Casey and her drinking has worsened. I don't know how much more of it we can all put up with..."

Leah and Bianca were joking at the table, waiting for Charlie to return with the drinks. She had left over five minutes ago to order, and although the restaurant was busy, it shouldn't have taken her that long.

"Who is that man Charlie is talking to?" Bianca asked, focusing her attention through the crowd onto Brax and Charlie. They looked engrossed in a conversation.

Leah looked towards the bar and then back at Bianca. "That's Brax. He's Angelo's new business partner."

"We've needed some new eye candy around here. He is beautiful!" Bianca swooned as she checked out Brax.

Leah couldn't help but laugh as she slapped Bianca's arm. "You haven't even had a drink yet, and you're already starting!"

Bianca blushed slightly as she shrugged. "I'm sorry...but come on. Look at him!"

Charlie came back to the table, carrying the drinks. "So, what have I missed?" She sat down beisde Bianca, facing the bar.

Bianca smiled at Leah as she took a large gulp of the wine. "More like what have we missed. What's Brax's story?" She took another sip of her wine as she looked over at Charlie. Leah laughed as she reached for her wine.

Charlie felt her breath catch in her throat as she glanced over towards the bar and then back at her blonde friend. "What?" She too reached for her wine, hoping the bitter liquid would ease the discomfort Bianca's question had caused her.

"Is he single?" Bianca asked, a twinkle in her eye.

Charlie shrugged, realising that she actually didn't know the answer to the question. "I honestly have no idea."

Leah managed to get the conversation away from Brax as the group of women finished their first glass of wine. Bianca found herself glancing frequently at the bar, watching Brax while he worked. A few times she caught him gazing back over in their direction but quickly looked away as she caught him. She smiled to herself.

Before any of them had a chance to go back to the bar, Brax appeared at the table side with three more glasses.

"Compliments of the management, ladies." He placed each of the glasses down on the table. He discretely winked at Charlie as he walked away. Charlie tried to hide her smile with her wine glass, while the other two women remained completely oblivious.

No matter how hard Charlie tried to steer it away, Bianca always found a way to bring the conversation back to Brax.

"You guys are friends, right? You must know what type of woman he goes for?" Bianca begged her best friend for information but again, Charlie realised that she had absolutely no idea.

"Yeah we're friends, but I really don't know his women type. It's not something that's come up in conversation." Charlie glanced in Leah's direction, begging her with her eyes to help her.

Leah cleared her throat as she tried to get Bianca's attention away from Charlie. "So, what happened with Liam? I thought you two were going to give that another shot?"

Bianca stared down into her wine glass as Leah's words flowed through her. Downing the remainder of the drink, she felt the effects of the alcohol take it's course. The pain she normally felt when thinking about Liam quickly faded into her drunkness.

"That's all in the past. I need to start taking control of my life...starting with a little male attention. We've been stealing glances at each other all night." She stood up. "I'm going to go and ask him out. Take control! Another round ladies?" She didn't even wait for an answer as she made her way through the crowds towards the bar.

Charlie watched from the table as Bianca caught Brax's attention and they began talking. The jealousy tore threw Charlie's body, settling in her stomach with a wave of nausea. As she finished off her wine she tore her gaze away from the bar and back to Leah, missing Brax looking over in her direction.

"I'm not feeling too good. I'm just going to go home. Tell Bianca I said goodbye." She didn't give Leah a chance to say anything as she stood up, glancing once last time at the bar before walking out of the restaurant.

Brax glanced back over to their table, hoping that he would see Charlie making her way over to him to save him. Instead, all he saw was Leah sat on her own. His eyes quickly scanned the restaurant looking for her, but the feeling of Bianca's hand taking hold of his brought his attention back to the woman standing in front of him.

Charlie sat alone on the couch, a cup of tea resting lightly on her knee. This was far from how she imagined the night from ending; her sat in alone in her pajamas with a hot beverage. The voice in the back of her head told her that she was being stupid and totally unreasonable. Her jealousy had no grounds, but no matter how much she tried she couldn't shift the mood that had settled over her since seeing Brax and Bianca together.

Leah appeared in the doorway, tossing her keys on the table. The noise made Charlie jump slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you feeling any better?"

Leah asked as she fell down onto the couch beside her friend.

Charlie nodded as she forced a smile. "Yeah I guess. How did Bianca get on?" She held her breath as she waited for the answer.

Leah shrugged. "I don't know, she's still at Angelo's."

Charlie felt her stomach drop. "So you don't know if he said yes?" She tried to keep her question nonchalant but Leah knew her friend better than Charlie had anticipated.

"It's Brax isn't it. The conversation we had this morning." Charlie didn't say anything but her cheeks reddened slightly. "I didn't even know you two were friends?"

"Only recently. I don't know, the whole thing is messed up." Charlie threw her head onto the back of the couch, feeling a slightly relief at being able to finally talk to someone about it.

Leah reached across and rubbed her friends arm. "Do you like him?"

Charlie turned her head and met Leah's gaze. They held eye contact momentarily before Charlie stood up.

"I'm gonna go to bed." She gave Leah a small smile as she made her way to the bedroom.

"I'm here if you want to talk."

Charlie just nodded at her friend as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

She had eventually managed to drift off into some sort of semi sleep state when a knocking sound caught her attention. At first, she dismissed the noise, rolling over as she tried to drift off back to sleep. But each time the noise became louder and a little more persistant.

Sitting up, Charlie glanced at the clock and frowned. 02:15.

"What the hell?" She whispered as she grabbed a sweater and walked into the bedroom door. Standing in the darkness, she glanced towards both the front and the back door before the knock sounded again and she made her way through the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to find Brax standing there.

"Brax...what are you doing here? It's two in the morning." Charlie spoke softly, rubbing at her eyes before running her hands through her hair. _God knows what I look like_.

He gave her a half smile as he leant on the doorframe and shrugged. "I know, I'm sorry it's late. It's just...you left before without saying goodbye. I just wanted to check that you were ok?"

For a moment Charlie was touched by his thought but then her thoughts quickly returned to what had happened earlier on in the bar.

"Yeah I'm fine. I wasn't feeling too well. And besides, you looked a little busy anyway." She immediately regretted it once the words left her mouth. She hadn't meant it to sound so harsh.

Brax laughed lightly. He figured that jealousy might mean that she liked him a little bit, although he didn't want to dwell on the thought. "Yeah, Bianca was a little full on. You could have saved me back there..." He smiled at her, hoping that she would return the smile but her face remained straight.

"You're not mine to save, Brax."

The words pierced right through him and he was thankful for the darkness; at least she wouldn't be able to totally see the hurt look on his face.

"I'm not interested in dating Bianca, Charlie." He reached his hand out to touch hers but she quickly pulled away and folded her arms across her chest.

"Look, Charlie." He continued, keeping his voice low so as to not wake the rest of the house. "Apart from the River Boys, you are the only friend I have around her. I'm not about to mess this up by dating your best friend."

She raised her eyes to look at him, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "Who you date is none of my business." Hearing herself saying the words brought the reality of it home for Charlie.

"I know but..."

"Charlie?" Ruby's voice came from inside as the living room light was flicked on.

Charlie glanced inside before looking back at Brax. "It's late, I best get back inside." He nodded, although he couldn't hide the disappoint on his face. "Goodnight Brax." She looked at him once more before closing the door and leaning back against it.

a


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: As promised...the next chapter :) Thanks again for reading and leaving reviews! You guys are ace :)

Enjoy :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 7 <strong>

Charlie rolled over in the bed, her eyes focussing on the ceiling. After her mid-night visit from Brax, she hadn't exactly had the greatest night's sleep. Her mind had raced through the situation she currently found herself in. Angelo. Brax. While she had to admit to herself that she was enjoying this new found friendship, part of her couldn't help but think that maybe it was more trouble than it was worth. _Getting jealous because he talks to another woman? Thinking about him constantly? Something just isn't right..._She knew she would have to make a decision, the question was which way would it go?

Deciding that her day off shouldn't be spent dwelling on her problems, Charlie dragged herself out of bed. Wrapping herself up in a dressing gown, she walked through the living room and into the kitchen. Ruby smiled briefly at Charlie while she finished off the remainder of her breakfast. Leah gave her a warm smile over her coffee cup.

"I better run or I'm going to be late meeting Casey!" Ruby placed her plate in the sink and gave Charlie a quick kiss on the cheek.

"It's not even 9a.m yet!" Leah couldn't help but laugh as Ruby shrugged, her cheeks colouring slightly.

Charlie poured herself a cup of coffee and stared at her best friend. She knew that now that they were alone, the questions were bound to start. And sure enough they did.

"How are you feeling?"

Charlie consider that question; a question that had many answers. Confused, excited, upset, tempted. The list of words she could choice to describe her current state went on and on.

"He was here last night." Avoidance was always the best answer in these situations. She tried to avoid looking at Leah; avoid seeing the look of shock that had taken hold of her friend's face but she couldn't do it. Her eyes were drawn to Leah like a moth to a flame.

Leah's eyes grew wide. "He was?" Charlie slowly nodded. "Did you two..."

Charlie couldn't help the laughter that almost escaped at Leah's question. She wasn't sure whether it was nerves or the fact that they were even having this conversation. "What? No. He didn't even make it through the front door."

"Oh, sorry. I just assumed..." Leah smiled apologetically. "So, what happened?" She poured herself another cup of coffee. Something told her that she was going to need it.

"He just wanted to check that I was ok. I asked about Bianca; he turned her down. I couldn't help but ask." She shrugged at Leah as she took another sip of her drink. "I don't even know what I'm doing anymore." She blinked away the tears that she could feel building up as Leah took a step forward and pulled her into a hug.

"You can't blame yourself for having a little crush, Charlie." She stroked Charlie's hair as she tried to comfort her friend. "It's natural to have a crush, people get them all the time." She released the hug and smiled. "And besides, he is pretty hot." She nudged Charlie who managed to give her a small smile.

"That's just my problem, Leah. I'm not too sure if it's just a crush..." Charlie put down her cup as she ran her hands through her hair. She stared down at the floor, not wanting to meet Leah's eyes now that she had admitted how she really felt.

"Oh." Leah said softly as she stroked the top of Charlie's arm. Charlie eventually lifted her eyes off the floor and stared back at her.

"See, I'm a horrible person. I have this amazing boyfriend, and here I am thinking about another man!"

"No you are not, so don't even go there. It's bound to be a bit confusing for you; you've instantly clicked with this new guy who you happen to have developed a really good friendship with. It's new; it's exciting. Of course it's going to stir up some sort of doubt." Charlie nodded along at what Leah was saying. "Do you want some friendly advice?"

"Please, I'm open to suggestions here."

"Ok. The way I see it, you have a couple of options. You either bite the bullet and remove the temptation; cut the friendship...remove the crush. Or you break up with Angelo and see if it is more than just a crush...providing that Brax is thinking along the same lines as you."

"Is that it?" Charlie couldn't hide the panic that had escaped into her voice. She had been hoping for a more definitive answer, although she knew that she was the only person who could give herself what she was looking for.

"Well there is one other option, but that all depends on how important his friendship is to you. If you are truely happy with Angelo, and you know that he is the one who you want...then you just ride this crush thing out. You go back to being just friends with Brax, and you carry on as normal with Angelo." Leah gave Charlie's arm a comforting squeeze. "But honey, you need to stop being so harsh on yourself."

"So I'm not a horrible person?"

Leah laughed lightly as a smile stayed on her face. "No, Charlie. You're just human!"

After her talk with Leah, Charlie decided that she would spend the rest of her day outside in the sunshine. She showered and changed into a white bikini under her clothes, packed a beach bag and headed out of the house. She had used the shower time to gather her thoughts and had finally chosen to just lighten up and stop thinking about her problems. How long that would last her, she wasn't too sure but she left the house with a new feeling of optimism.

Picking a location on the beach where she was close enough to watch people and far away enough to have some peace, Charlie placed down a towel and settled herself. Feeling the sun was over her body, she immediately felt a lot more relaxed. _Maybe this is just what I needed. _

The peace lasted merely minutes before someone was shouting her name down the beach. She groaned inwardly as she propped herself up to see Bianca walking over to her.

"Hey you. Mind if I sit for a minute?"

Charlie nodded so Bianca took a seat beside her, kicking her shoes into the sand. "You're surprisingly chipper today. I thought you'd be nursing a hangover somewhere?"

Bianca blushed at the mention of her behaviour the night before. "Well I've felt better but there's no point dwelling on it. I am getting numerous text messages off a guy I met last night, although in the fresh light of sobriety I'm not too sure if I like him..."

Charlie was slightly taken aback. _Did he lie to me last night? _Bianca noticed the change on her face and realised what she had said.

"It's not Brax, don't worry." She reassured her friend with a smile.

"Why would I be worried? Brax can meet or text who he wants..." It came out slightly more defensive than she planned which shocked Bianca.

"No I know. I'm a little embarrassed about that actually, if I had known I wouldn't have tried to come on to hi..."

Charlie immediately cut her off, sitting up to face her. "Known what?"

"That he's into you!" Bianca shrugged, her nonchalant tone reaking havoc with Charlie's mind.

"What? No he's not!"

Bianca laughed but Charlie failed to see the humour. She frowned at her best friend. "Come on Charlie, I know I was drunk but it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. As soon as you left he was scanning the room for you. I was using some of my best lines and all I got in return was 'where is Charlie?' 'Do you know where she is?' 'Is she ok?'" She did her best to mimic Brax's voice which earned her a small laugh from Charlie. "It was a little annoying at first but he cares about you."

Charlie tried to hide her smile before scoulding herself. _No! I need to stay focused. _

Thankfully Bianca's phone rang and she quickly made an excuse and left, leaving Charlie once again in peace. She ran over the conversation in her head, repeating the sentences which always managed to put a smile on her face. _'He cares about you.'_

Before she knew it, she had taken out her phone and typed out a new message; destination Darryl Braxton.

**Hey**

**Are you free this afternoon? I'm at the beach if you fancy hanging out? **

**Charlie **

As soon as her finger pressed the send button she knew that she was playing with fire. However Leah's voice kept creeping from the back of her mind. _'It's just a crush. Go back to being just friends with Brax._'

Her phone buzzed in the sand beside her.

**Hi! **

**That sounds perfect. I'll be there in twenty :)**

She grinned at her phone as she closed the message and rolled over on the towel so that she was now laying on her stomach, staring up the beach. Taking the book she had packed earlier, she opened it to the first page but found herself having difficulty concentrating on the written words. Thankfully for her, twenty minutes quickly passed and Darryl Braxton was soon making his way towards her, his shirt hanging loosely over his shoulders exposing his bare chest.

He smiled as he took a seat beside her and she rolled back over, sitting up to face him.

"Hey."

"Hi."

They sat silently for a moment, both waiting for the other to say something. Eventually Charlie spoke up.

"You weren't busy or anything were you?"

Brax shook his head. "Nah, I was actually really glad you text. I've been moving out this morning. I was due a break..." He sighed but tried his best to hide it with a smile.

"You're moving out?"

"Yeah. Things are not going to get any better at home and I owe it to Casey to get him out. It's only to a motel for now until I sort something more perminent out, but it's a start, right!"

"It's a really positive start, Brax. You're going in the right direction, and I'm sure Casey really appreciates what you are doing for him." She stroked the top of his arm and smiled at him, a gesture which he easily returned.

He cleared his throat as he ran his hand through his hair, leaving it to rest on the back of his neck as he turned to look at her. "Enough about my problems. How are you?" He held her eye contact, his eyes focused and interested.

Charlie looked down at the sand for a moment before forcing herself to look back up at him. "I'm ok. I actually want to apologise to you, for how I was with you last night. I feel like maybe I was a little off with you, and I didn't really mean to be..." She spoke quietly and softly, yet the sincerity in her voice was loud and clear.

Brax brushed off her comment with a smile. "No, you have nothing to apologise for. It was late, I shouldn't have called round like that. I should be the one apologising."

Again, they made eye contact and for a moment neither wanted to look away while something unspoken was being said between them. Their eyes studied the other intently, each noticing how the other glistened slightly at the person in front of them. After what seemed like hours but was merely a matter of seconds, Brax looked away towards the ocean.

"Shall we?" He looked back at her with a smirk on his face. She looked back puzzled at him. "Come on, you can't come to the beach without going into the water. I'll race you..." Without giving her time to respond, he jumped up and ran towards the ocean. He glanced behind him just in time to see Charlie burst out in laughter as she got up and tried to chase after him.

Charlie eventually caught up with him as she splashed into the water beside him. She jumped at him, dunking his head momentarily under the water but he managed to wriggled free and jump up, tossing her back into the water. She laughed loudly as she fell back into the water. Emerging, hair soaked and falling down her back, she glared over at him.

"A bit of warning next time you start a race, would be nice!" She warned, which caused him to smirk at her.

"It's not my fault if you can't keep up Buckton!" He winked at her as she scoffed and pushed a load of water in his direction. He was too fast though, he had already managed to hold his breath and duck into the water before her revenge splash reached him.

Laughing to herself, she waited for him to resurface but after a few moments she was alone in the water. Feeling a sudden moment of panic, her eyes scanned the water for him.

"Brax?" She called out, and spun around just in time for him to appear behind her, a huge smile on his face.

She slapped his arm hard. "Do not do that to me! I thought you'd drowned!"

"Well then you shouldn't have tried to splash me..." He replied smugly, which earned him another splashing.

They continued to play in the water, until eventually Charlie made her way back towards the beach closely followed by Brax. Reaching her things, she picked up towel and dried herself off.

"This has been fun!" His smile mirrored her own as he threw himself down on the beach.

"Yeah, I've never had so much fun nearly being drowned before." He feigned hurt as her towel was launched at his face. He laughed it off. "Despite you're anger issues, I've had a really good time."

She smiled at him as she checked her phone. 1 New Message.

**Hey gorgeous. **

**I'm nearly done at work. Meet me at the Diner for a quick bite to eat? x **

She read the message again and then looked down at the man on the sand. A plan quickly formed in her head.

"Are you hungry?" He nodded at her question. "Meet Angelo with me at the Diner?" She noticed the slight fade of his smile at the A word.

"I don't think that'd be such a good idea. I'm hardly his favourite person."

"That's because he doesn't know you properly. Please?" She smiled sweetly at him and he soon found himself standing up and brushing the sand off himself. _Why can I not say no to her?_

She smiled as she replied to the text.

**Sure, I'm with a friend so we'll see you there x **

They walked up the beach as Charlie tried to convince him that it would be fine. Angelo just needed time to get to know him and then whatever the issues, they would quickly be resolved. She knew herself that it was going to take a little more than dinner at the Diner before the two main men in her life started getting along, but it was a good place to start.

"Hey, I forgot to mention to you. Angelo and Leah are throwing me a birthday party this weekend at the restaurant. Nothing fancy, just a couple of friends...a lot of alcohol. I'd love for you to come?" She smiled nervously at him while she waited for his answer.

"Does Angelo know you're asking me?"

She raised her eyebrow at his question and shrugged. "No but I'm in charge of the guest list...and I'd really like for you to be there?"

_Again, why can I not say no to her..._

Saturday quickly came around and it was time to get ready for the party. That afternoon, Brax walked into the restaurant to pick a few things up, only to be stopped by Angelo.

"Hey, I've been trying to get hold of you. The champagne I ordered the other day, I can't find it anywhere?" It was obvious that he was flustered, his shirt was slightly ruffled and the man looked like he had hardly slept.

"I put it away in the chiller. Are you alright?" Brax shouted over his shoulder as he walked past Angelo and collected the stack of papers that he had come in for. Having a quick glance around the restaurant, he had to admit that the place looked amazing. No wonder the man looked so exhausted. Balloons and decorations adorned the walls and tables, and fairy lights had been drapped across the ceiling. _She's going to love it. _

"Yeah, there's just a really important event going on tonight. I need everything to go to plan!" Angelo looked down at the list he had in his hand as he began ticking through his errands.

"Relax. She's going to love it." He patted Angelo on the back as he made his way out of the restaurant. "I'll see you tonight."

Angelo looked up from his list and frowned. "What?"

Brax froze in the doorway and spun around. "At the party?"

"You're coming?"

Brax couldn't help but smile at the look of shock which was all over Angelo's face. "Yeah I was invited."

Angelo scoffed. "Of course you were..." He groaned as he ignored his business partner and went back to his list.

Charlie walked out of her bedroom and both Leah and Bianca squealed.

"Oh my God, Charlie! You look stunning!" Bianca embraced her friend before checking out the birthday girl's outfit choice. She had opted for a white, figure hugging dress which complemented the tan she had gained earlier on in the week. Her hair fell in curls around her shoulders; her make up flawless.

"Angelo is going to hit the floor when he sees you!" Leah winked at Charlie, who managed a small smile.

"Right, shall we go?" She was eager to get there and get the party started.

The restaurant was fairly packed with all of Charlie's friends and Summer Bay residents. Everyone cheered as she walked in, which caused her to laugh nervously as she made her way through the room, birthday wishes hitting her from every direction. Angelo was waiting for her at the bar, dressed simply in black trousers and a white shirt. He had hold of a glass of champagne and a red rose in his other hand.

He smiled at the sight of her as she walked up to him.

"Happy birthday!" He leant in and kissed her before handing her the drink and then the rose.

"Thank you!" She took a sip of her drink as she looked around the room. "This is amazing!" She beamed back at him as she swayed slightly to the music. His arm found it's way around her waist.

"Anything for you." He kissed her bare shoulder but Charlie was too busy scanning the room. Her eyes eventually stopped in the doorway as Ruby and Casey entered the restaurant. A few moments later, Brax appeared behind them. The three of them made their way over to Charlie.

Ruby hugged her mother and wished her happy birthday. Casey did the same before dragging Ruby off to the bar to get a drink, leaving Charlie and Angelo alone with Brax.

"You came!" Charlie smiled as she moved out of Angelo's embrace to hug Brax. The scent of Charlie's perfume washed over him as they hugged.

"You look beautiful!" He whispered in her ear just as they pulled apart. They smiled at each other. Angelo and Brax exchanged a forced hello before Angelo made some excuse to leave and check on something behind the bar.

"Do you want a drink?" Charlie asked, as she finished off the first of her birthday champagnes.

"It's your birthday, should I not be the one asking you that?" He joked as he picked up two glasses of champagne and handed one to her. "It's a pretty good turn out. He's done a really good job!" He had to hand it to the bloke; he had pulled out all the stops.

The evening progressed with the aid of plentiful supplies of champagne, wine and food. Charlie looked like she was having a great night as she did the rounds across the restaurant. No matter who she was talking to, her eyes continued to flit across in his direction every now and again. He always happened to be looking at her whenever she did.

Charlie found herself on her fourth glass of bubbly as she walked back over to Brax. He smiled as she approached, interrupting the conversation he had been having with Leah. Leah looked at them both and laughed, quickly excusing herself.

"Are you having a good night?" Brax asked, but the smile on her face told him that she was.

"I'm ready for my birthday dance now!" She took another swig of the drink, feeling the bubbles slowly going to her head as she held out her hand to him.

"Birthday dance?"

"Yeah. You promised..." She teased, trailing off as she took another step towards the dance floor.

"What? When?" He couldn't help the laughter that was building up inside of him as she quickly fumbled to think of an answer.

"I don't know. But I'm sure you should have promised me a dance. So, come on!"

Not wanting to have to make her ask twice, he took her hand in his and followed her onto the dance floor. He glanced nervously at the bar for a second, not wanting to cause any trouble between her and Angelo. But Angelo was busy talking to Liam and Charlie was begging for him to dance with her...

The music had taken a slower beat as Brax put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Her hands linked loosely behind his neck, her fingers occassionally brushing against the hairs on the back of his neck. They moved together to the music in between the other couples.

"I am really happy you came tonight. I haven't told anybody, but I think you're becoming my new best friend." Her alcohol laced voice made it's way through the music, bringing a wave of butterflies to his stomach. His grip on her tightened ever so slightly.

"Well don't tell anybody, but I think you might be my only best friend..." He replied with a wink which made her smile. She moved and rested her head lightly on his shoulder, relishing in the closeness that the dance allowed them to have.

Liam found Angelo pacing nervously behind the bar and couldn't help but laugh as he ordered another beer. "Nerves getting the better of you there?" He joked, which caused Angelo to stand still.

"Me? Nervous? No not at all." He glanced out into the crowd and saw her dancing with Brax, but as he clutched at his pocket for the ten millionth time; he was no longer bothered by that sight. "What's there to be nervous about? I love her. She loves me. It's pretty much a done deal!" He poured himself a shot of whiskey, just to be on the safe side.

The song eventually came to an end and the pair of them reluctantly moved out of the other's grip. A moment of awkward silence washed over them as they weighed up their next move. Charlie realised that she was being a little bit selfish by spending all her time with one guest, but then the drunken voice in the back of her head told her that it was her party and she could spend it with who she wanted.

"Shall we get some fresh air?" She asked, as she led him through the crowd and onto the patio at the side of the restaurant. Charlie picked up two glasses of bubbly on the way through and handed one to Brax.

They stood on opposite sides of a small table as the cool night breeze washed over them. Brax reached into his pocket and placed a small black box on the table.

"It's not much, but I got you a little something. Happy birthday!" He smiled nervously, thankfully for the dim lighting to hide his blushed cheeks.

Charlie stared down at the box and then back at him. "Aww, Brax. That's really sweet, you didn't have to do that!" She beamed as her fingers pushed open the lid of the box revealing a silver necklace with a small diamond in the centre.

"Oh my God, Brax, that is beautiful!" She ran her fingertips over the jewel as she blinked back tears and stared up at him. "Would you?" She offered him the box and he removed the chain. Walking to her side of the table, he carefully placed the necklace around her tiny neck and fastened it; his hands hovering slightly longer than they needed to on her skin. Clearing his throat, he took up his spot at the table.

"Thank you, Brax. I love it." Her hand moved up to her neck and rested on the necklace.

"You are more than welcome."

They stood in silence for a moment, enjoying each other's company before Charlie broke the silence once again.

"So, did you not bring a date tonight?" _Here I go again. Playing. Fire._

Brax shook his head as he took a sip of his drink. "No."

"You know, I don't even know if you have a girlfriend?" She knew she would kick herself in the morning for the upfrontness of her question, but for now she had the alcohol to blame.

Brax chuckled slightly at her. _God she is cute._ "No, I don't have a girlfriend either."

Charlie considered this for a moment as she drunk more champagne. "You must miss not having that one special woman in your life though?" She questioned, as she studied him intently.

Again, he laughed. "Just because I don't have a date or a girlfriend, doesn't mean that I don't have that one special woman in my life." He paused as he looked over the table at her, holding her gaze. "I have you."

She wasn't entirely sure what happened to her in that moment but she found it hard to locate any normal sense of feeling inside. Her heart pounded in her chest as her stomach became light and fluffy. His smile never faded. Leaning on the table, she tilted her head to one side as she gazed back at him, tears threatening to escape her eyes.

"Brax, I..." She spoke softly but was quickly interrupted by the sound of a glass being clinked inside the restaurant.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Angelo's voice echoed across the room. Their eyes remained connected. "I would like to take this opportunity to make a toast to the birthday girl. Where is she?"

Ruby quickly ran out onto the patio and grabbed Charlie, dragging her inside. Brax followed, but remained at the back of the room.

Angelo's face lit up as Charlie walked into the room. "Argh, her she is!" There was a small round of applause. "Firstly, I would like to thank you all for coming to celebrate the birthday of my beautiful girlfriend." He raised his glass of champagne which earned him another burst of clapping. He turned his attention back to Charlie. Stepping forward, he took one of her hands in his own.

"Secondly, I would like to say a very happy birthday to the most wonderful, kind, caring and beautiful girlfriend that a man could ever ask for. I am one lucky guy that you choose me, Charlie. Not only are you my girlfriend, but you are my best friend; the love of my life." He paused as he stared lovingly at her. "I couldn't ask for anybody better to share my life with." Again the applause and cheers rang out.

Taking another sip of his drink, Angelo placed his glass down on the table as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He lowered himself down onto one knee.

"Charlie Buckton...Will you please do me the honor of being my wife?"

Everybody gasped.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Once again, thank you all for the brilliant reviews and for reading! **

**Hope you all enjoyed the cliffhanger :p **

**What will her answer be...enjoy :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

"I...er..." Charlie's voice caught in her throat, but the words that managed to escape were barely audible. Her hand flew up to her chest, resting on the pendant that Brax had given her only minutes before. Angelo's face beamed up at her, his smile both hopeful and expectant. She could feel everyone's eyes glued to her, waiting for a response that she wasn't entirely sure would ever come.

"Charlie?" Angelo questioned as he studied her face, which still looked in a state of shock.

"Oh my God."

Someone whispered excitedly behind her. She wasn't quite sure who had said it, maybe Leah, maybe Bianca.

"Will you marry me?" He asked again, just to make sure that there was no doubt that she hadn't heard him.

The longer she remained silent, the longer she had to stare down at the face gazing up at her. The longer that she allowed the excited atmosphere build up around her. She wasn't quite sure where the words came from, but she found herself saying them all the same.

"Yes."

The minute the words left her mouth she wished that she could take them back. However the blur of events which took over the next five minutes made that almost impossible. Angelo jumped up from his knees and scooped her into a huge hug, swinging her around before placing her back on the ground. Applause and cheers filled the room as everyone began to celebrate the news.

Her friends couldn't wait to congratulate her and Charlie found herself quickly guided around the room with Angelo holding tightly onto her waist. She tried to ignore the numb feeling that had taken over her as her heart beat faster in her chest. The realisation of what had just occured hit her and she quickly scanned the room but he was no where to be found.

"Hey, mind if I steal her for a minute?" Leah approached the couple and Angelo smiled as he let go of Charlie, and walked over to the bar to get another drink.

Leah wore the same ecstatic expression as most people in the room, although her eyes were full of curious concern.

"So...when I told you that you had a couple of options, I didn't realise that this was one of them?" She asked, while she smiled nervously, waiting for Charlie's reaction.

Charlie sighed as she forced a smile onto her face; something which she was now becoming good at. People were still looking over in her direction and the last thing she wanted to do was to arouse suspicion. "Did you know he was going to do that?"

"No I was just as surprised as you...although judging by the look on your face, it wasn't a surprise you were expecting?"

Charlie's eyes scanned the room for a second time but she didn't find what she was looking for. "I was just so caught off guard. I couldn't do that to him, not with all these people standing there, watching us. Waiting. God, the look on his face." She rubbed her forehead as she went over the past couple of minutes in her head. She could feel the tears threatening to escape but she willed them not to fall. "Where is he?"

"Who?"

Before Charlie had a chance to answer, Ruby came running over, closely followed by Casey. Ruby grabbed her mother and pulled her into a huge hug as she squealed.

"I am so happy for you! Congratulations."

They broke apart and Charlie's attention turned to Casey. "Casey, where is Brax?" She tried to keep her voice calm but she couldn't help the panic which laced her voice.

Casey shrugged. "He left a couple of minutes ago."

Charlie's face fell. "Where did he go?" She emphasised every word as she stared at him, not minding how desperate she now sounded.

"Charlie..." Leah spoke softly, touching Charlie's arm but Charlie shrugged out of her grasp.

"I don't know. He just said that he had to go..." Casey looked at Ruby who was wearing the same blank expression that he was.

"I have to go..." Her mind raced as she tried to figure a way out of the situation she had gotten herself into.

"What? But it's your party."

Charlie ignored Ruby's statement as she turned back to Leah. "Can you cover for me? I won't be gone long." She waited for Leah to nod before making her way through the crowds and quickly walking out of the restaurant.

"Ok...what the hell was that?" Ruby watched her go before looking back at Leah for an answer.

"I think that was your mother realising that she said yes to the wrong man."

Ruby stared at Leah for a moment as the meanings of Leah's words hit her. "Oh..."

Charlie ran out of the restaurant before she realised that she had absolutely no idea where to look first. She had tried calling his phone but it went straight to the voicemail. Leaving a message for him to call her as soon as he got the message, she made her way down to the beach figuring that she would start there.

She tried to call him again as she removed her heels and started jogging down the path towards the beach. Her eyes searched the deserted beach before she caught sight of a figure walking in the opposite direction.

"Brax?" She shouted. She wasn't entirely sure but she thought that the figure started to walk a little faster at the sound of her voice.

Sighing, she ran after him, calling for him to stop which he eventually did.

"Hey...where are you going?" She was slightly breathless as she caught up with him. He turned around, his face blank.

"Home."

"You just take off now without saying goodbye?" She tried to smile at him but he refused to return her smile.

"I didn't want to get in the way of the celebrations." His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "You should get back to your party before your fiance wonders where you are." He sighed as he tore his eyes away from her and started to walk away again.

Charlie watched as the distance between them grew. The knot in her stomach tightened.

"Brax!" He stopped again but kept his back to her. "Is there...is there a reason why I shouldn't marry Angelo?" Her voice cracked slightly as tears formed in her eyes. He spun around and walked back towards her, the coldness on his face not easing up. He remained silent so she spoke again.

"Well? Can you give me any reason?"

The question lingered painfully in the air.

"What do you want from me, Charlie?" As he made eye contact with her she saw for the first time that she wasn't the only one with tears in her eyes. "What is it that you want me to say? Is it that since the day I first met you, I haven't been able to get you out of my head?" He waited for her to say something which she didn't. "Or maybe you want me to tell you about how the thought of you going home to him each night and sleeping in his bed kills me?" He tried to keep his anger in check, but revealing everything to her made him feel vunerable. Anger was one way to conceal the pain he was now feeling.

She felt the tears roll down her cheek as she listened to him.

"Brax...I..." She choked back her tears as she stepped towards him but he backed away from her.

"No, Charlie!" The pain was clear in his voice and on his face. "I can't believe what an idiot I've been. I convinced myself that it would be worth it; that maybe...someday you would pick me." He paused for a moment, taking in the sight of her crying in front him. His chest ached and he longed to just take her in his arms and tell her it would be ok. But he couldn't and he knew that things wouldn't be ok.

"I was stupid for ever letting myself fall in love with you." He continued, his voice just above a whisper.

Charlie felt as though the wind had just been punched out of her stomach as his words echoed around her head. Her hand flew to her mouth as she tried to supress her cries. She stepped towards him but yet again he stepped away from her.

"Don't Charlie. You want me to give you a reason not to marry him...I can't. I can't do this anymore...just go back to your party." It took him all his strength to walk away from her; to tear his eyes away from the pain and the look of horror on her face as she just stood there hoping that he would turn back. _She's made her choice._

Charlie fell down into the sand, her head falling to her chest as she let the tears flow freely. She had called for him to come back, but he had ignored her requests. Could she blame him? She remained on the beach as long as she could before making the dreaded journey back to the restaurant.

Angelo ran up to her as she rejoined the party, the excitement and alcohol now taking an effect on him. She hadn't thought it possible but his smile had grown in her absence.

"There you are! Where have you been?" He pulled her into a hug. Her eyes fell on Leah who threw her a hopeful look from across the room. Charlie ever so slightly shook her head and Leah's eyes fell to the ground disappointed.

"I had to get some fresh air. A little too much champagne." She lied, forcing on a smile.

Angelo didn't seem to notice as he led her further inside the club. "Come on, let's get this party started!" He smiled brightly at her as Charlie feigned happiness while inside her heart was in pieces.

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><p><strong>Eeeek! Don't hate me...haha! Update will be soon! Reviews are always lovely... ;) <strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry guys for the delay in posting the next chapter, real life has a way of getting in the way sometimes :( **

**Thank you for the beautiful reviews 3 Enjoy :) **

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Her head was the first thing she noticed when she woke up. Well to wake up denotes that you actually had to sleep, and sleep was one thing that Charlie hadn't done much of the night before. However the pounding that was forming in her head was a warning to a hangover she was going to be receiving that day. Although she knew that a hangover was far from her biggest concerns.

They had left Angelos round about 3am, and thankfully Angelo had been far too intoxicated to want to try any sort of private celebrations once they had gotten home. He had passed out on the bed as soon as his head hit the pillow, and Charlie...well Charllie had spent the majority of the night waiting for the room to stop spinning whilst attempting to stare at the same spot on the ceiling. Easier said than done after one too many glasses of champagne.

She remained with her gaze focused on the ceiling as the morning sunlight flooded the room. Her right handed spun the ring around on her finger. The feeling of the cool metal passing over her skin made her stomach turn. Wearing it was a constant reminder of what she had gotten herself in to.

She quietly managed to untangle herself from the constraints of Angelo's arm, and was thankful that he rolled over and continued to sleep while she grabbed her dressing gown and phone and snuck out of the room.

No one else was up so she had the house to herself as she made her way into the kitchen. She checked her phone; no new messages.

She opened up a new message and began typing.

**Please can we meet? I need to see you x **

She pressed send before tossing her phone down on the counter and throwing her head down into her hands. His words from the night before flooded her memory, causing her heart to ache. He had confessed his true feelings for her. Confessed that he had fallen in love with her.

Had she really missed all the signs?

She couldn't believe that in the short space of 24 hours her life had completely changed. Engaged yet heartbroken. It was like something out of a badly made Hollywood film.

Checking her phone again and finding nothing new, she realised that she had to do something before she went crazy alone with her thoughts. Creeping back into her room, she changed quickly into jogging pants and a vest top. She paused for a moment before taking off the ring and placing it in the top drawer of the dresser. There was only one crisis she could deal with at one time.

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><p>She knocked gently on the door, not wanting to wake the whole house. She only waited for a few minutes before the door was opened, but not by the brother she had been hoping for.<p>

"Charlie? Hey..." Casey rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he stared back at her. He wasn't sure what time it was but he was sure that it wasn't exactly an acceptable visiting hour.

Charlie smiled awkwardly at him. "Hey. I'm sorry I know it's early but I really need to speak to your brother." She hated that it had come to this.

"There's only me and Heath home." He threw her a concerned look. He had missed most of what Leah and Ruby had been taking about the night before, but coupled by the state Brax was in when he got home last night Casey knew that something good hadn't exactly happened.

Charlie frowned at this new information. It wasn't even 8am, where could he have gone? "What? Where is Brax?" It wasn't looking good.

Casey shrugged. "I have no idea. He took off about an hour ago. He said he needed to be alone and didn't want to be found."

His words were like a punch to Charlie's stomach. He's gone. Casey noticed the deflated look on Charlie's face and wished that he could give her the answers that she was looking for, not just because she was Ruby's mother but because he sensed that she made Brax happy.

Charlie had to force herself not to cry. She had played the conversation out in her head on the way over and now that she was here and he wasn't, she didn't know what to do. Everything was falling around her and she had no way of stopping it.

"Thanks Casey." She mumbled as she turned to walk away.

"Hey..." His voice stopped her in her tracks and she turned around once more. "If I hear from him, I'll let him know you stopped by..."

She gave him a half smile as she walked away.

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><p>She had walked around in circles through the Bay, not wanting to go home and face the reality. She thought that maybe the walk would clear her head a little, but clarity was the last thing she found. She had sent Brax another text message, asking him to call her but so far her messages remained unanswered.<p>

Reluctantly, she returned home to find Angelo standing in the kitchen nursing a hangover. He smiled as she walked into the house and reached out to pull her into his arms.

"Morning fiance!" He kissed the top of her head as he held her close, nestling his face into his hair. His words stung her more than she thought they would; as though they were another reminder to her of what she had screwed up.

She pulled herself out of his embrace to look at him. "Look, about that..." She grimaced as she began the conversation that she had been dreading having.

"Morning!" Ruby's voice rang out behind her, interrupting Charlie's trail of thought. She groaned; part of her wanted to get it over with but the other half was thankful for the disruption.

"How are the happy couple this morning?" Ruby asked, although there was a cautiousness to her words that hadn't been there the day before. She looked first at Angelo who was beaming with happiness, but then her eyes landed on Charlie and her heart sunk. The pain on Charlie's face was visible, even if Angelo was too caught up in his own emotion to notice it.

Charlie shared a look with her daughter as her eyes filled with tears which threatened to expose her secret.

"I'm going to jump in the shower." She quickly excused herself but Ruby followed her, catching up with her just outside the bathroom.

"Charlie..." She whispered, and Charlie stopped to face her.

"Rubes, I can't do this right now..." Charlie started but was stopped as Ruby pulled her into a hug.

"It's ok. Everything's going to be ok." Ruby hoped that her words were true. Casey had called her and informed her of Charlie's early morning visit and of Brax's departure. She wasn't entirely sure how things were going to be ok but she knew that at that moment in time Charlie needed something positive to hold on to.

Taking sanctuary in the bathroom, Charlie locked the door and pulled out her phone. No new messages. She wasn't sure what she was expecting him to say, but the silent treatment was killing her. Not that she deserved any different.

She typed one last message, anything was worth a try.

**Brax, I need you to hear me out. Please, I can't do this without you. Come home. Please x **

She knew it was a long shot that he would read it let alone reply, but she sent it all the same.

After spending longer than was necessary in the shower, mainly so she could be alone and mainly so she could avoid her fiance, Charlie eventually resurfaced. She walked into her bedroom to find it empty. In Angelo's place was a note which was taped to her vanity mirror.

_Charlie, _

_I've had to go in to work for a while (Brax has gone AWOL) Once I've sorted things out, I'll be free to celebrate with you. _

_Meet me at the Diner, 5pm? Have a little surprise for you..._

_I love you _

_x _

She placed the note back where she had found it and got dressed. The day was just going from bad to worse. She had to tell him before things got any further out of hand.

A light knock on her bedroom door pulled her from her thoughts and she turned to see Leah's head in the doorway, her face full of silent concern.

"Mind if I come in?"

Charlie shook her head and Leah moved to sit beside her on the bed, her hands automatically taking hold of Charlie's.

"How are you feeling?"

Charlie took a deep breath as she tried to come up with an answer. "I feel like my head is going to explode. Angelo is running around with the biggest grin on his face, Brax has left...and I'm just numb. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore." She rested her head on Leah's shoulder as she fought back the tears.

"Wait, Brax has left?"

"Yeah, and Casey doesn't know where he has gone or when he will be back. I've tried calling and texting him but nothing."

"What did he say when you found him last night?"

Charlie thought back to the night before and couldn't help the smile which took hold of her face. In any other circumstance it would have been perfect having Brax tell her that he loves her. Her smile quickly faded. "He told me that he loves me."

Leah wrapped her arms around Charlie's shoulders and pulled her into her embrace. She thought the conversation might have gone that way, but now that she knew she didn't really know what to say to make her best friend feel better.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each gathering their own thoughts. Leah was the first to speak.

"Do you love him?"

The question lingered painfully in the air. Charlie eventually moved out of Leah's arms and made eye contact with her, a small smile on her face.

"I do."

Leah gave her hand a comforting squeeze as she returned her smile. "Then I think you know what you need to do. It's like ripping off a band-aid...the faster you do it..."

"...the less pain." Charlie finished for her, knowing that despite the saying she was in for an afternoon full of pain.

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but Angelo has arranged for everyone to have a celebratory meal at the Diner this afternoon. You might want to break it to him before then.." Leah suggested and Charlie nodded.

"Would you come with me?"

She knew it was pathetic the minute the words left her mouth but she found herself overcome with a sudden feeling of security as Leah nodded in the affirmative.

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><p>The two best friends stood outside the Diner. They had stopped at Angelo's first but found no sign of him there. His phone was switched off, something which Charlie was getting used to dealing with that day. So now they stood outside the Diner trying to decide what to do next. The 'surprise' was meant to be starting in ten minutes and Charlie knew she was running out of time.<p>

"Ok, I'll go and see if he is inside ok? I'll send him out to you..."

Charlie nodded as Leah made her way inside the building. Charlie tried to wait patiently but her nerves were taking over. _Ripping off a band-aid. I can do this. _She checked her watch and realised that Leah had been gone for nearly five minutes. _What is taking her so long?_

"Ah! Sargeant Buckton." Colleen Smart's voice appeared suddenly behind Charlie, causing her to jump. She spun around and was greeted with the sight of Colleen dressed in a mulitcoloured ensemble, finished off with a hat. Charlie had to try her hardest to supress her laughter.

"Colleen...hello." She focused her attention back on the Diner doors but there was still no sign of Leah.

"Come on, you're going to be late." Colleen caught hold of Charlie's arm and began leading her towards the building. Charlie looked at her, mortified, as she tried to free her arm out of Colleen's grip.

"Oh no, Colleen. I'm just waiting her for Leah. You go on ahead..."

"Don't be silly Sargeant Buckton...or should I say Rosetta!" She beamed at Charlie who failed to return any sort of smile. Colleen held her grasp of Charlie as she forced her into the Diner.

The first person she saw was Leah, who was stuck talking to Irene in the kitchen. Irene looked panicked as she talked to Leah, but Leah's gaze turned to Charlie as she entered. She gave her an apologetic smile as she mouthed 'sorry' but Charlie just smiled at her. This was her mess, it should be up to her to fix it.

Angelo came running over, and immediately took her in his arms. Applause came from behind him, and Charlie glanced over to see a group of her friends there to celebrate. Her eyes landed on Ruby, who was wearing an apologetic look similiar to Leah's.

She focused her attention back on Angelo and sighed. "I actually really need to talk to you." She tried to keep her voice low so as to not attract unwanted attention but Angelo hadn't seemed to notice.

"We have plenty of time for talking." He kissed the side of her head. "Come on, let's celebrate." He took her by the hand and froze as he looked down. "Where is your ring?"

Her heart felt like it had skipped a beat and not in a good way. It was now or never. "That's what I need to talk to you about." She emphasised each word, hoping that now he would actually hear her.

"Charlie what's going on? Why have you not got your ring on?" His voice came out a little louder than expected, catching the prying ears of the people around them.

Charlie felt her eyes fill up as all the eyes were once again upon her. Her breaths became shorter as she struggled for air. "I'm sorry, I can't do this."

She glanced quickly at Angelo before pulling her hand free and running out of the building.

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><p><strong>Reviews are once again always welcomed :) New chap will be posted tomorrow... <strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks guys for the reviews!  
>Enjoy :) <strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 10 <strong>

Her feet pounded against the gravel as she made her way as quickly as she could from the Diner. The fresh air had done little to alleviate the panic and pounding in her chest. Somehow along the way she had begun to cry but she simply ignored the tears as they stained her cheeks. She was not usually one to run away from her problems but at this moment in time she was willing to make the exception.

"Charlie!" Angelo's voice came from the doorway of the Diner as he watched her retreating figure. "Wait up!" The sound of his voice only made the tears fall harder but reluctantly Charlie slowed her pace before coming to a stop. The footsteps got louder behind her as a hand eventually took hold of her arm and turned her to face him.

_The moment of truth._

His face was a mixture of confusion and hurt. She could feel him studying her as her eyes fell to the ground. Reaching out, he took hold of her other arm but she stepped back out of his embrace.

"Charlie, what's going on?" He withdrew his arms, letting them hang at his side.

Charlie wiped quickly at her face, noticing the crowd which had formed outside the Diner as she glanced up. Forcing herself to meet his gaze, she tried her best to hold it together.

"I am so sorry Angelo." Her voice was barely audible but her words hurt him all the same.

"Why? What do you have to be sorry for?"

"I can't do this. It's not fair to you." His frowned slightly at her; his confusion wasn't easing off. She sighed. "I should never have said yes to you."

He was silent for a moment but then a small smile appeared on his face. He took a step closer to her and reached out again for her. This time she didn't move.

"That's it? God, Charlie you had me worried that it was something serious." His hand reached up to touch her cheek. "If you don't want us to get married, then we don't have to get married."

She pushed his hand away and once again stepped into her own space. "This is serious, Angelo. It's not just about getting married; I don't want there to be an us anymore." She hadn't meant for her voice to come out as harshly as it had, and judging by the look on his face her words weren't what he had been expecting to hear.

Angelo stood in silence staring at her. Charlie hugged her arms across her chest as she tried to avoid his gaze. She hated the look of pain on his face, and hated that it was there because of her. It reminded her of the pain she had seen on Brax's face. _Brax. _The thought of him brought a millisecond of calm to her before Angelo's voice brought her back crashing down to earth.

"So..." She noticed how his eyes had reddened as he fought back tears. "You're breaking up with me?"

"Yes. I'm sorry." She knew her apology would mean nothing to him but she had to say it all the same.

He turned away from her for a moment as he ran his hand over his face. Seeing the people watching behind them only added to his anger.

"Have you been sleeping with him behind my back?" He turned back to face her, his eyes cold as they fixed on her.

She frowned at him. "What?"

"Brax? I'm assuming you're doing all of this because of him. How long has it been going on?" His voice grew louder, suddenly not carrying who overheard.

Charlie shook her head at him and turned to walk away but he caught up with her.

"Well? Are you going to answer my question?"

"Don't try and make this about Brax. I'm breaking up with you because we're not right together anymore, Angelo. And if you think I've been sleeping with him behind your back then you have just proved my point. We're just not right..."

"He's just a River Boy Charlie. He's no good for you." He replied smugly.

"And you are?"

Once the words had left her mouth she wanted to take them back. She knew deep down that Angelo had never been bad to her; his only fault was loving her unconditionally which she couldn't return. However, the desire to protect Brax had overtaken her and once the words were out there, that was it.

Angelo didn't grace her with a reply. A glare and a harsh brush past her shoulder was all she received in return.

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><p>"How long has she been in there?" Ruby whispered as she joined Leah outside Charlie's bedroom.<p>

"Since yesterday afternoon. I've tried a couple of times to talk to her or bring her food but she doesn't want to know." Leah threw Ruby a concerned look as she tapped gently on Charlie's bedroom door for the tenth time that day. Silence.

"She can't stay in there forever."

"I don't know what we're going to do. I even went round to the Braxton's this morning but there is still no sign of Brax. I thought maybe he might be able to get her to snap out of it but he's still MIA." She kept her voice low, not wanting Charlie to overhear. She tried once more on the door but received no such luck.

Inside the room, Charlie lay on the bed staring at the ceiling. It had been two hours since she'd stopped crying; the tears a mixture of the pain and guilt she felt over what she'd done to Angelo and also the confusion and guilt she felt towards Brax. Not talking to him had made it harder but she hoped deep down that he would come back and they could eventually sort everything out.

Her phone beeped beside her on the pillow. A wave of hope washed over her as she reached for it but the hope quickly disappeared as she saw the name on the text message.

**Angelo**

**Charlie, I'm sorry for what I said to you this afternoon.  
>We can get past this. <strong>

**Please? I love you x **

He had been calling and texting her all afternoon, all of which had gone unanswered. As much as she hated breakups, she hated being the breaker. Knowing that you have caused someone else's world to temporarily collapse was a little hard to face.

Tossing the phone back onto the bed, she got up and headed for the bedroom door. _I can't stay locked up forever._

Leah and Ruby both jumped off the couch when they heard her bedroom door open. They were hesitant at first but quickly found themselves moving towards her and enveloping her into a group hug. She laughed lightly as she hugged them back.

"How are you feeling?" Ruby asked as Leah ran off into the kitchen to make her friend something to eat.

Charlie led Ruby to the couch and threw herself down onto it, pulling Ruby down beside her. Cuddling her into her chest, Charlie sighed.

"I'm ok. Well I'm getting there."

They sat silently for a few minutes before Leah rejoined the room carrying a plate of sandwiches. Charlie thanked her as she quietly picked at her first bit of food for over twenty four hours. Ruby and Leah glanced nervously at each other, neither knowing what to say. Charlie sensed their nerves as she placed the remainder of her sandwich on the plate and smiled gently at them both.

"Look I'm fine. People break up all the time. You don't have to worry, I'm going to be ok." The words were more for their benefit but she secretly saying them out loud brought a small sense of relief to herself.

"What about Brax?" Ruby asked quietly, only to be greeted with a glare by Leah. She responded with a sheepish shrug, all of which went unnoticed by Charlie.

Now it was Charlie's turn to shrug. "I still haven't heard from him. I don't know where he's gone, when he'll be back. If he'll even be back."

"You're going to tell him how you feel though, right?" Leah asked excitedly, this time causing Ruby to glare.

"Leah. She has only just broken up with Angelo." Ruby scolded her causing Charlie to laugh.

"Rubes, it's fine. I don't know. I guess we'll cross that path if and when we come to it."

* * *

><p>It had been two weeks since the engagement fiasco. Two weeks since Charlie broke up with Angelo. Two weeks since she had last heard anything from Brax. She had gone about her day to day life as best as she could. Public places were temporarily avoided so that she wouldn't run into Angelo or worst...Colleen. She'd sent Brax a few text messages over the past couple of days but they each remained unanswered. Her hope was starting to wear thin.<p>

* * *

><p>Casey sat at the kitchen table staring down at the paper in front of him. Ruby sat beside him, scribbling away the answers while Casey's pen had barely touched the page. He sighed as he tossed the pen down and turned to face her.<p>

"Come on Ruby, surely there must be something better we could be doing this afternoon?" He winked at her as he leant forward towards her. She smiled at him but the sound of the door opening behind them caught her attention.

Her eyes averted to the side as her jaw dropped. "Oh my God."

Casey spun around in the chair and smiled as Brax walked through the door, holding a duffel bag. He tossed the bag down on the floor as Casey ran over and greeted him.

"Brax. About time you came back."

Brax smiled as he hugged his brother. His smile faltered slightly as he caught sight of Ruby but he tried his best to be polite.

"Ruby. Hey."

She barely managed to mumble a hi. She didn't know what to do or say, so she chose silence as the safer option.

"You've missed so much." Casey glanced at Ruby but she nodded for him to continue. "I need to talk to you about Charlie."

Brax shrugged. "What about her?"

"She broke..."

"Brax, babe." A voice from outside cut Casey off as all eyes turned to the door. "Where shall I put my things?" A blonde woman appeared in the doorway, dressed in a denim mini and vest top. She smiled when she saw Casey. "Casey...long time."

Ruby watched silently from the kitchen table, a feeling of nausea taking over her stomach. Casey's mouth fell as he glanced between the new comer and his brother.

"Tegan..."

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><p><strong>Dun...dun...dun... :)<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Once again, thank you for all your kind reviews/subscriptions etc! You all rock! **

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

The atmosphere which had settled over the room was beginning to be a little too much to bare. It had been a fair few minutes since anyone had last spoken. The varied looks on each of their faces said more than any words could.

Ruby tore her gaze away from the blonde and Brax as she began to gather her books from the table. "I'm just gonna go..." She whispered to Casey. He nodded his understandance to her as he followed her across the living room.

Brax avoided her stare as he walked past her and into the kitchen, closely followed by Tegan. Casey sighed as they reached the doorway; this was far from how he had planned the afternoon going.

Ruby paused in the doorway. "Who is she?"

Casey glanced over his shoulder before answering her. "An ex from Mangrove River. She's no good for him and he knows it." He rolled his eyes. He had discovered first hand the damage that Tegan could do to his older brother, but for one reason or another Brax always ran to her when things got tough. Apparently this constituted one of those times.

"Charlie is going to crushed when she finds out."

"She doesn't have to find out. I'll talk to him. We'll fix this don't worry." He stepped towards her and pulled her into a hug, feeling her sigh heavily into his chest.

"Let me know how it goes..."

* * *

><p>Ruby had used the walk home from Casey's to sort her head out. She knew that on one hand keeping this new information from Charlie was wrong, but causing her more pain was the only other option. She hoped that Casey would be able to talk some sense into Brax and send this Tegan back to whereever she came from.<p>

"Hey sweetie." Charlie smiled as she walked into the kitchen, spotting Ruby leaning against the kitchen counter. She definitely seemed in better spirits than she had been previously. "I thought you were studying all day with Casey? You haven't had a fight have you?" She opened the fridge and stared at it's contents while she waited for a response; a response that wasn't coming anytime soon.

Ruby stared down at her feet, suddenly very aware of her mother's eyes studying her. She knew that if she were to make eye contact she would spill everything she knew. She had agreed to give Casey time, she was positive that the walk from his house to her own didn't really count as time.

"No, not at all. Something just came up." She shrugged nonchalantly, her eyes darting around the room to avoid Charlie's. "I should get back to the books." She smiled briefly at Charlie before dashing past her.

Charlie frowned as she stared back at the empty space were Ruby had been stood to the kitchen doorway were she had disappeared through. "What was that?" She mumbled to herself as she went back to rummaging through the fridge.

* * *

><p>"It's been a while since I've been in the Bay, am I going to get the grand tour anytime soon?" Tegan asked, leaning over the couch to wrap her arms around Brax's neck. She kissed him lightly on the cheek as she turned her head to look at him.<p>

Casey sat awkwardly in the corner watching the pair of them. It had been over an hour since Ruby had left; an hour in which he had to endure the sight of Tegan cosying up to his brother. An hour in which he had to keep the recent events to himself. The frustration was getting to him.

"We can go now if you want? We can have dinner at the restaurant when we're done." Brax returned her smile, although Casey could tell that the smile had been somewhat forced. Brax was kidding himself as well as her, even if no one else could see it for the time being.

"Ok. I'll just go and get changed." She gave him a quick kiss before running off into the direction of the bedroom. Brax reached for the open bottle of beer on the coffee table and downed the reminents.

Seeing his window of opportunity, Casey moved to sit beside Brax on the couch.

"Brax there is something I really need to tell you. Before Tegan comes back." He kept his voice as low as he could but the panic to fix things which making that difficult.

Brax watched Casey out of the corner of his eye and nodded ."Sure. As long as it's nothing to do with Charlie you can tell me whatever you want."

"But Brax...her and A..."

"No!" He cut him off, the abruptness of his voice taking Casey slightly by surprise. "I don't want to know anything about her. She has made her choice, and I've made mine. So whatever it is you think you have to tell me; forget it." He held Casey's gaze for slightly longer than usual, his cold stare eventually making Casey look away. He knew better than to argue with Brax; Heath maybe he could get away with, but he never won an argument against the older brother.

"Right...I'm ready!" Tegan waltzed back into the living room, spinning with her arms out as Brax turned to look at her. She had chosen a black halterneck dress with a pair of sandals, her hair fell in waves around her face.

Brax smiled as he walked over to her. "You look great. Let's go." He gave Casey one final glare before ushering Tegan out of the house.

* * *

><p>Charlie tapped lightly on the bedroom door before entering. Ruby was laying on her bed, staring blankly at an open book. The notepad in front of her was empty; clearly the studying had been going well. She gave Charlie a small smile as she walked into the room and took a seat on the edge of the bed.<p>

"Hey, you've been awfully quiet in here. Are you ok?" Charlie reached over and stroked her arm as Ruby sat up to move beside her.

"I'm fine. Just some stuff on my mind, that's all."

Charlie returned her smile. "I'm here, if you want to talk."

"I know."

Sensing that she wasn't going to take her up on the offer of a chat, Charlie changed the subject. "So I was thinking that maybe we could go out for dinner? Just me and you?"

"Or we could order take away and stay in? We don't need to go out..." She hadn't heard from Casey for a couple of hours so she had no idea what the outcome had been. She just knew that the last thing she needed was Charlie running into Summer Bay's latest resident.

Charlie shook her head as she pushed Ruby playfully. "No come on. You've been stuck in here all day and I've hardly left the house. We'll get dressed up...maybe have a cocktail or two. Well you can have a coke, but I'll have a cocktail. What do you say?" She smiled hopefully at her daughter and Ruby found it difficult to say no.

* * *

><p>They had been walking around the Bay for the past fourty minutes. The beach, the Diner and the Surf Club had been the only main stops on the tour, not that there was much else to see in the Bay. Brax had been thankful that they hadn't ran into anyone he knew. Dealing with the Charlie situation was something he had convinced himself that he was ready to do, but he knew that was far from the truth.<p>

It was the first time that he had stepped foot in Angelo's since the Charlie's engagement party and the feelings from that night quickly came back to him. Hurt, anger, jealousy, just to name a few. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his head as he lead Tegan over to a booth, while he went to the bar.

"Hey, where's Angelo tonight?" He asked one of the barmaids. He knew he couldn't put off the inevitable meeting of the fiance of the woman he loves; surely it was best to get it over with sooner rather than later.

"He's away for a couple of days. Said it was important." She shrugged at him. Angelo hadn't been too forthcoming with information when he had left, no one even knew where he had gone or when he would be back.

Brax couldn't help the feeling of relief that came over him. _Maybe Charlie has gone with him._ He wasn't sure if he was ready to face her but by the looks of it he wouldn't have to.

"Ok. Could you bring two beers over to our table please." He smiled at the waitress as he went back to his date.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you wouldn't just rather stay in?" Ruby asked, just as they were about to leave the house. Casey still hadn't gotten back to her so she couldn't help but assume the worst.<p>

Charlie raised her eyebrows as she turned to look at her. "Are you kidding me? Look at us, we are all dressed up. It would be criminal for us to stay in dressed like this!" She laughed at her own comment but received only a smile off Ruby as a response. Charlie had opted for a short red dress for the evening, her hair falling over her left shoulder in a loose curly ponytail. Ruby had picked a shoestring strapped black dress.

"Fine, we'll go out. Where did you have in mind?"

Charlie paused in the doorway and grimaced slightly. "I know it's going to sound bad, but I've checked and Angelo is out of town for a few days...so I thought we could go there."

Ruby felt her stomach flip slightly. "What about the new Thai place in Yabby Creek? They do the best take out..."

Charlie frowned in confusion. "You love pizza...come on, let's go to Angelo's." She threw her daughter a skeptical look as she guided her out of the house.

They made their way through the packed restaurant and managed to find a seat fairly quickly. Charlie couldn't help but notice how quiet Ruby had been on the walk over, but she figured her mind was still on her studying.

A waitress took their drinks order; Charlie a glass of white wine and Ruby a water. They glanced over their menus in silence while Charlie stole concerned looks over the top of her menu at her daughter.

"Are you sure there is nothing you want to talk about? You don't seem yourself..." Charlie placed her menu down on the table and Ruby did the same as she forced a smile on her face. She had been telling herself over and over that she was reading too much into the situation. If Casey said he would sort it, then he would do that. She just had to have more faith.

"Honestly, it's nothing. I'll cheer up, I promise."

* * *

><p>The waitress cleared away their empty plates before bringing another two bottles of beer to the table. Brax thanked her before turning his attention back to Tegan. It had been a quiet dinner, Brax hadn't really been in the mood to talk and Tegan knew better than to push him. The occassional conversation they had, had been polite at best.<p>

"I still can't believe you own half of this." Tegan wrapped her arm around his neck as she pulled him in for a kiss. Brax quickly broke the kiss, choosing to reach for his beer instead. If his actions had offended her, she hid it well. "It must be great for 'business.'" She whispered with a wink.

Brax moved completely out of her embrace, his face blank. "There is no 'business' and there won't be." He warned as he moved out of the booth. "I'm going to settle the bill." Tegan rolled her eyes as she downed the rest of her drink. He had definitely changed and she didn't like it one bit.

The conversation flowed easily while they ate their pizza. Ruby momentarily forgot the stress from that afternoon as they joked and chatted. It had been a long time since they had done anything just the two of them; Angelo had always been the third person to accompany their outings.

"So that's when Colleen just flipped on him. Literally chased the poor guy out of the Diner with a teatowel!" Charlie burst out laughing as Ruby finished her story.

She dabbed at the corner of her eyes with her napkin. "God, I wish I could have seen her face."

"I know, right!"

Charlie watched as Ruby took a sip of her water but her eyes were quickly averted to someone behind Ruby. Her jaw dropped.

"Brax..." It was barely a whisper but it was enough for Ruby to choke on her water.

"What?" She coughed again to clear her throat causing Charlie to glance back at her momentarily. She nodded towards the bar.

"He's back." Part of her was hurt that he hadn't got back in touch with her but then she couldn't really blame him. She knew that she had hurt him and all she wanted was a chance to explain. And it looked like this was her chance.

Ruby turned around and groaned as she caught sight of him. Her eyes quickly scanned the far side of the restaurant and her groaned only deepened as her eyes settled on Tegan.

"Great." She mumbled as she turned round to face Charlie again. "I'm not feeling too well. Can we leave?" She tried her best to look sick, not that it mattered...Charlie's eyes were fixed once again on Brax.

"I'm going to go and talk to him." She picked up her glass of wine and knocked back the last couple of mouthfulls. Silently thankful to whoever created dutch courage she stood up, only to be stopped once again by Ruby.

"Don't Charlie. It's not a good idea to talk to him." She pleaded but Charlie wasn't paying any attention.

"He's ignored me for two weeks. He's got no where to hide now..." She gave Ruby as reassuring smile as she moved past her, making her way over to the bar. Ruby turned in her seat to watch, her eyes flitting between the bar and the booth where Tegan was sat.

"Hey stranger." Charlie leant on the bar beside Brax, her body turned towards him. Her head fell to the side as she smiled over at him. He had tensed up at the sound of her voice, she had noticed that straight away.

He nervously cleared his throat. "Hi Charlie." He tried to keep it impersonal; tried to keep his eyes off of her so that he wouldn't notice how incredibly beautiful she looked that night. _She's taken, so are you._ "I was just..." He waved the receipt in front of him as he turned to go but her arm on his forearm stopped him and he reluctantly moved back to lean on the bar beside her. The shift in position meant that he now had to look at her and the minute his eyes hit her body that was it; he was falling and falling fast.

"I've tried messaging you..." She started, trying to keep her voice steady. She smiled at him but his face remained unreadable. She had no idea what he was thinking.

"Yeah, I deleted them."

She tried to ignore the hurt feeling that his words had caused her. "I guess I deserved that one..." She laughed lightly but he didn't join in.

"Is there something you wanted, Charlie?"

She looked down and realised that she still had her hand rested on his arm. He hadn' t moved it, which she took as a positive sign. She smiled to herself as she looked back up at him.

"I miss you. We really need to talk." She held his gaze and for a split second she was sure that she saw his resolve crumble. However, before she could double check, a tanned arm snaked it's way around Brax's shoulders.

"Did you pay the bill, babe?"

Charlie felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her as a voice joined them. She followed the arm back to it's owner; it's very blonde owner.

"Oh." Her eyes moved between Brax and this other woman as she tried to make sense of it. Then the reality hit her. "Oh." It was all she could manage, only this time it came out with a little more anger than before.

"Yeah I'm all done."

Charlie's eyes moved between Brax and this other woman as the reality hit her. Tegan's eyes never left Charlie's face, while her arm remained in it's position around Brax.

Charlie glared at Brax as she shook her head, turning sharply on her heels and walking quickly out of the restaurant, quickly followed by Ruby.

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><p><strong>Dun dun dun...hehe don't hate me...all will be well in the world soon ;) <strong>

**Reviews are always welcomed :) **


	12. Chapter 12

**a/N: Hey! I'm so sorry for the delay, mixture of the real world and starting a new story...argh! But I finally have the new chapter ready :) **

**Thank you for all the fab reviews! Brightens up my day, you have no idea! **

**Anyways...hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Ruby tried her hardest to catch up with her, but Charlie did have the advantage of having a head start. It may only have been less than a minute but her anger had allowed her to travel far in such a short space of time.

"Charlie! Please just wait up!" Ruby begged, silently urging for her legs to move faster than humanly possible. She had no idea what had been said when Charlie had confronted Brax, but she had watched the exchange from a distance. Watched as they momentarily spoke before Tegan had joined them, clearly marking her territory for Charlie to see. Which is exactly what she had done. Charlie had refused to look at Ruby as she made her dash from Angelos, but Ruby could see the pain which was visible on her face.

"Can you actually believe the nerve of him!" She shouted over her shoulder, slowing her pace down ever so slightly to give Ruby a chance to catch up. She needed someone to vent to; someone to help her make sense of what had just happened.

Sensing her opportunity, Ruby ran a little quicker, closing the gap between them. Placing her hand on Charlie's arm, she pulled her to a stand still.

Her breath caught harshly in her throat as she spoke. "Charlie...please."

Charlie's tear stained cheeks came into view as she turned her head to face Ruby. She wasn't sure if they were tears of hurt, pure anger or a mixture of the two, but either way they wouldn't stop falling.

"What kind of person confesses their feelings for someone, does a runner and then returns with Malibu Barbie on their arm." Her voice was catching in her throat, her words fighting to break through her cries.

Ruby grabbed hold of her, pulling her into a strong hug. She allowed her mother to cry for a couple of minutes on her shoulder, soothing her hair and comforting her as best as she could. When she eventually felt Charlie's grip loosen on her, Ruby pulled back so that they were once again face to face.

"Ok, I really need you to listen to me for a minute. Ok?" She knew this could end badly, but Charlie deserved to know the truth. They had agreed that they wouldn't have secrets from each other, it was a basis they were trying to build their mother/daughter relationship on.

Charlie frowned as she nodded. Wiping at the tears on her cheeks, she focused her blurry vision on her daughter.

"It's not what you think. The thing with Brax and Tegan..."

"How can it not be what it seems, Ruby? He's moved on pretty quickly, and without even bothering to speak to me about any of it." Shaking out of Ruby's reach, Charlie began walking away but made it only a few steps but she quickly spun back around. "Hang on a minute." Her tone had changed, the anger had no replaced any of the hurt she had been displaying earlier. Ruby felt her stomach drop. "I wasn't introduced to her. I don't know her name. How do you?"

Ruby's eyes fell to the floor. She could feel Charlie's eyes burning into her. Judging by the mixture of confusion, anger and betrayal that had laced Charlie's question, Ruby knew without looking up that the stare would be displaying the same range of emotions.

Keeping her gaze on the floor, she whispered her answer. "I knew he was back. With her."

Charlie felt as though the wind had been punched right out of her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing coming out of her own daughter's mouth. The same daughter who had seen first hand what not speaking to Brax had done to her. The same daughter who knew exactly what she was feeling towards him.

"I can't believe you knew and you didn't tell me." As Charlie took a step towards her, Ruby forced her eyes up from the ground.

"I only found out this afternoon, I was going to tell you but Casey said that we'd be able to fix things before they got this bad..."

"Fix things? What is there to fix, Ruby? He's with someone...seems pretty clear to me!" Once again, she backed away from her. She had no idea where she was going, but the need to get as far away as she could was overwhelming. Out of all her possible outcomes for her evening, this hadn't even made the list.

"He doesn't know." Ruby yelled after her. Her words caused Charlie to stop and slowly spin around.

"What?" The anger was hidden behind the curiousity, but Ruby could hear it all the same.

"Brax. He doesn't know that you and Angelo broke up. He still thinks you are engaged...that is why he is with someone else." Ruby offered, hoping that this would at least bring some relief to Charlie. Charlie's silence lingered, leaving Ruby clueless as to what she was thinking. Her face had remained straight; whatever thoughts she was having were not visible to the outside world.

Without saying anything else, Charlie turned on her heels and stormed away.

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><p>In the fresh light of the next morning, Charlie still didn't feel any better. Ruby had left for school by the time she had gotten up, not that she had had the best night's sleep. Between the tossing, turning and pacing she had done around her bedroom, she must have gotten around two hours sleep at the most. Her eyes felt heavy as she waited for the kettle to boil to make some fresh coffee.<p>

Leaning back against the counter, she threw her head back as she stared at the ceiling. She knew she would have to apologise at Ruby when she saw her. Deep down she was aware that Ruby hadn't purposely tried to hurt her. The desire to stay in the previous evening and keep Charlie away from any public space where she might run into the new couple was probably Ruby's way of trying to protect her.

The kettle quickly came to the boil, nudging Charlie from her thoughts. She poured herself a cup of coffee, choosing to sit outside hoping that the fresh air would clear her thoughts.

He thought she was still engaged. He didn't know that she had been waiting for him; waiting for him to come back and talk to her. To be with her. Part of her blamed him for that, if he had answered any of her messages he would have known the truth. The thought of him spending time with another woman sickened Charlie. Tegan, Ruby had called her. The name rolled through her head as did the image of her wrapping her arm around Brax's shoulders. Calling him babe.

Overcome with jealousy and nausea, Charlie abandonned her coffee and headed inside to get changed.

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><p>Brax emerged from under the water, the warm morning sun immediately clearing the beads of water off of his face. Rubbing the excess water from his hair, he reached out for his board, jumping up to straddle the board and float aimlessly in the water. Since seeing Charlie had hadn't been able to get her out of his head. It had been the same story since he had confessed his feelings to her a few weeks earlier. She plagued his every thought; his every desire. At least with Tegan around he could pretend to focus his attention and energy onto someone else, but thoughts of Charlie Buckton always managed to resurface.<p>

A surge of water came his way, followed closely by the sound of laughter. Turning away from the splash, he was soon greeted by a pair of arms wrapping around his waist.

"Hey." She placed a light kiss on his side. "It's getting awfully lonely in here alone. Get off the board and join me?" She questioned, slowly applying pressure to force him towards her.

As he turned his head to meet her gaze, his eyes fell on someone on the beach. She had been walking but stopped when she spotted them. Her eyes glued to them for a matter of minutes before turning sharply and heading off the beach.

Brax's sighed as he tried to ignore the queasy feeling that had washed over him. This wasn't playing out the way he had hoped.

He quickly moved out of Tegan's embrace, choosing instead to head further into the ocean. "Lay off it, Tegan. I'm trying to surf." He knew it was harsh, but he also knew from past experience that Tegan didn't do subtlety.

Tegan had noticed his eyes momentarily leave her to look at something, or someone, behind her. She knew who had caught his attention without even turning around. She knew Darryl Braxton inside out. She knew that she was going to have a fight on her hands if she wanted to keep him; to finally make him hers.

She rolled her eyes as she swan away from him. "I'm going to get a coffee. Come find me when you are done." She called over her shoulder. Walking back to her stuff on the beach, she rubbed a towel over her hair before slipping on a skirt over her bikini bottoms.

* * *

><p>"Just a coffee thanks, Colleen." Charlie ordered quickly, taking refuge at a table in the back of the Diner before Colleen had any opportunity to ask her anything or make any sort of comment. She knew that the gossip mill had been busy since her split with Angelo, but facing it was still something which she wasn't quite prepared for.<p>

Colleen quickly made the coffee and took it over to the table. She hovered momentarily in front of Charlie, but soon found that she could hear Leah's voice in her head. Leah had took to warning the older woman every day that if she so much as caught wind that Colleen had been gossiping about her best friend then Leah wouldn't be responsible for her actions. For once, it appeared that Colleen Smart had actually taken note.

Relieved when Colleen retreated back to the kitchen, Charlie took a moment to breathe in the fresh aroma of the coffee. The sight of Brax and Tegan together in the water was still had the front of her mind and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't remove the mental image.

Unfortunately for her, she didn't have to chance to. She glanced up from her coffee cup to see one half of the couple walking towards her, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Don't suppose this seat is taken?" Without waiting for a response, Tegan sat in front of the brunette.

Placing the coffee cup back onto the table, Charlie threw a cold, hard stare at her. "Can I help you with something?"

Tegan studied her for a moment before continuing. "Just thought that it was time me and you had a little chat. Cleared the air."

Charlie almost scoffed in her face. She had to force herself to remain straight face. If Tegan had wanted to clear the air than she could have at least told her voice that. Her words had come out laced with disdain. Charlie couldn't help the roll of her eyes, Tegan however looked less than impressed with the gesture.

"I have nothing to say to you and would appreciate you not speaking to me."

Tegan laughed. A sound which Charlie knew she would have a hard time removing from her memory. "See, that's where I think you're wrong. I've waited for years to get Darryl back and now that I have him, I'm not going to let some crush get in my way."

"A crush? That's what he told you that I was?"

Tegan nodded, the smugness evident on her lips. "Don't kid yourself, you were never anything more to him. So whatever hold it is you think you have with him, I'm here to tell you to let it go. This is one you're not going to win."

For the second time that day, Charlie felt sick to her stomach. _Just a crush_. Had it all been lies? Had he just been playing her to get what he wanted? Anything she thought she knew was crumbling around her.

The sight of Brax walking into the Diner only made matters worse. Colleen reappeared from the kitchen, eager to watch the scene play out first hand. Tegan, who had her back to the doorway was unaware of Brax scanning the room, freezing in the spot as he saw the two woman talking.

Grabbing her purse, Charlie stood up, pausing at Tegan's side. "You two can have each other." She spat, giving her one last glare before heading towards the door.

"Charlie..." Brax stopped her, glancing between her and the table she had been previously been sitting on.

Whatever he was going to say, he didn't get the chance. Charlie quickly cut him off. "Keep Barbie away from me. Same goes for you." She pushed past him, not wanting him to see the tears that were seconds away from appearing.

* * *

><p>Brax stormed into the house, closely followed by Tegan. They had argued the whole way home from the Diner. Although she wouldn't admit it, Tegan knew that she had overstepped the mark, at least in Brax's eyes.<p>

"I told you that I wanted you to stay away from her." He snapped back as she slammed the front door behind her.

Heath walked out of the kitchen, a smile on his face as he saw Brax.

"Bro...you're back! Casey told me that you were here, but tracking you down seems to be impossible." His smile faded as he noticed Tegan. Puzzled, he glanced back at Brax before looking back at the blonde. He had clearly interrupted something. "Tegan...hey."

"Hi Heath." She gave him a small smile before focussing her attention back on Brax. "I don't get why you're so cut up about this." Brax pursed his lips as he tried to calm his breathing. She knew him well enough to know that she was seconds away from pushing him too far. "Fine...I'm going to go and take a shower. We'll talk later." She threw Heath one final look before disappearing into the bathroom.

Once they were alone, Heath flopped down on the couch beside his brother, turning to face him. "What the hell is she doing back?"

"I bought her back with me. It seemed like a good idea at the time." He threw his head back onto the couch in frustration. Everything was one big mess and he couldn't figure out where to start to piece it all back together.

"Why would you bring her back with you? Did Buckton change her mind again?"

Brax opened his eyes and frowned at his brother. "What? I hooked up with Tegan while I was away. She wanted to come back to the Bay for a while so I told her it was fine. I don't want to talk about Charlie anymore. She made her choice and I wasn't it so there's nothing really left to say." He stood up, ignoring the confused look which had taken over Heath's face. "Is there any beer left?"

"What are you talking about?"

Brax stopped in his tracks, staring down at the pair of furrowed eyebrows that were staring back up at him. He watched as slowly the realisation washed over Heath's face, softening his features.

"You really don't know, do you?" He stood up, so that he was now face to face with his brother.

Now it was Brax's turn to be confused. "What are you talking about? First Casey...now you. You're all acting weird."

Heath sighed. As much as he disliked Buckton, he knew that deep down she was the one who made Brax happy. Deep down she was the one he truely wanted. He couldn't be the one to stand in the way of that.

"You were it. You were her choice. She called off the engagement to Angelo the next day. They're not together anymore."

Brax felt the colour drain from his face. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing audible came out. She had tried to call him, to text him. She had tried to speak to him in Angelos but he had rubbed his fling with Tegan in her face. The hurt on her face had been because she thought he had changed his mind about her and moved on with someone else.

Taking a deep breath, he flopped back down on the couch, his head dropping into his hands. "Are you sure?"

Heath sat back down beside him. "I overheard Leah and Bianca talking about it in the Diner the other week. No one could get hold of you. She's been waiting for you to get back...and then you show up with Tegan." He grimaced as Brax stood back up, glaring down at him.

"Oh God...Tegan." He began to pace the living room. "I've made things a hundred times worse."

Heath shrugged. His range of relationship advice didn't run deep, and he was out of things to say. Thankfully though, Brax had picked up his keys and was heading towards the door.

"I need some fresh air. Can you cover for me?"

One nod from Heath and he was gone, letting the door close quietly behind him.

* * *

><p>Charlie flopped onto the sofa, a glass of wine in one hand and the TV remote in the other. Leah had plans with Irene and Ruby was on a date with Casey so for once she had the house to herself. Wine and soppy chick flicks had seemed like the perfect combination for the evening. Dressed simply in a pair of jogging bottoms and a vest top, her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail and her make up had been left pale. Sighing as she pressed play, she relaxed into the couch, excited about the possibilty of two hours of forgetting her own problems. For now, all she had to think about was Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey and what was going to happen with them in the next ten days.<p>

Ten minutes into the film, a gentle knock on the door distracted her from the screen. Glancing at the clock, she realised that it was only 9.30. It was too early for Ruby to be back, and Leah had told her that she would be home around midnight. Reluctantly pressing pause, she placed her wine on the coffee table and jumped up, heading into the kitchen.

Switching on the light, she reached the door and opened it, her breath hitching in her throat as she was laid eyes on her visitor. She kept one hand on the doorframe while the other held the door slightly ajar.

She couldn't read his face; couldn't tell why he was there. His eyes searched hers as they stood silently on the doorstep.

"Brax, what are you doing here? I said everything I had to say to you this afternoon." She stepped back slightly and began to close the door but his foot stopped it and he gently pushed it back open.

"Is it true?" His voice was filled with hope, something which took Charlie slightly by surprise.

She raised her eyes to meet his once again, feeling the all too familiar moisture return to them. The slight nod she gave him was all that was needed. Without another word he stepped towards her, his lips colliding forcefully with hers as he pushed her backwords, pressing her up against the kitchen wall.

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><p><strong>Finally...right? Haha! Let me know what you think :) x<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! **

**Sorry it's taken me a few days to get this chapter to you! Hope it's worth the wait :) **

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews and for sticking with it :) You guys are awesome! **

**Enjoy :D**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13 <strong>

Charlie felt her back collide with the wall, the feeling of Brax's body pressed up against her own removing any hint of pain. His hand ran up the length of her body, ending up tangled in her hair as he pulled her even closer to him. She couldn't help the moan which escaped her as his tongue traced her bottom lip before he deepened the kiss. He moved his left hand to hold her waist, his fingers lightly grazing the skin underneath her vest top. If it hadn't had been for his body holding her up against the wall, Charlie was certain that the weakness in her knees would have taken over.

Hungry. Passionate. Needed. Weeks of flirting, undiscovered feelings, innocent touches had led to this moment. As their mouths explored each other, Charlie's hands settled on his chest, feeling his heart pounding underneath his shirt. Realising the effect that she was having on him, she couldn't help but smile into the kiss.

Breathless, Brax eventually pulled back, his forehead resting against hers. "I have been waiting to do that since I first met you." He whispered as he leant in again and kissed the tip of her nose.

Charlie smiled as she moved towards him, closing the gap with another kiss. Delicate, yet able to say more than any of her words could.

As they broke away again, Brax's hands fell to her waist holding her loosely. Charlie's hands were looped around his neck, her fingers gently playing with the hairs on the back of his neck.

"I'm so sorry for how I've been reacting. If I hadn't had been so stubborn, we wouldn't have missed the last three weeks." The sincerity in his voice was matched by the look in his eyes.

Charlie sighed. She knew that the past three weeks had been an absolute nightmare for her, a feeling which was so different to how she felt now standing in his arms.

"It's ok. None of that matters now. Not anymore."

His lips slowly curled into a smile as he pulled her into his chest, hugging her tightly. Her head rested on his chest as she breathed in the smell of his aftershave. The fragrance forever embedding itself in her memory. This was definitely one of the memories that she never wanted to forget.

Kissing the top of her head, Brax smiled. "I meant what I said to you that night on the beach..." He whispered. He didn't want to freak her out by admitting too much too soon, but technically he had already professed his feelings for her. He needed to make sure that she knew the truth.

Charlie smiled into his chest before moving back to meet his gaze. "I know you do." Despite feeling it, she wasn't quite ready to come out and say it. Her relationship with Angelo had been rushed; she wasn't ready to make the same mistake again.

"I just want you to know that whatever this is, or whatever this becomes...I'm in."

Charlie brought their lips together, this kiss filled with more passion and thirst than the last.

"I'm in. But I want us to do this right. You're it for me. I don't want to mess this up."

"We won't."

They stood in silence for a moment, grinning stupidly at each other. Neither had imagined their evenings turning out this way. Charlie had gone from heartbroken to ecstatic in the space of ten minutes. Despite pushing any negative thoughts that she may have had that day out of her mind, a face soon came back to her. Tegan.

Brax noticed the change on her face and frowned sllightly. "Are you ok?"

Stepping out of his embrace for the first time since he had arrived, Charlie moved towards the table in the kitchen, leaning back against it with her arms folded across her chest.

"I think we're both forgetting someone here..." She started, hating that she was even having to say these words. In an ideal world, Tegan would never had been anywhere near Brax. Her Brax. The latter thought brought a momentarily smile to her face, but she knew that this was something they unfortunately had to discuss.

Brax's face fell as he realised what she was talking about. It was his own fault for not knowing that Charlie was single sooner. He also knew that in not knowing, he shouldn't be feeling guilty for being with someone else. That, however, didn't stop the gut wrenching feeling that had now settled in his stomach. What he wouldn't give to turn back the time.

"She'll leave."

A flash of jealousy appeared on Charlie's face as he spoke about the blonde. Knowing that he was responsible for her feeling this way upset him.

"Is it just that simple?" _Please say yes..._

Brax stepped towards her, unfolding her arms so that he could take her hands in his own. He knew he had to be honest with her, if this was going to work honesty would have to become their new best friend.

He gave her hand a small squeeze before continuing. "You have to understand this thing with Tegan. We go way back. We've always been there for each other...you know when..." He trailed off watching as Charlie glanced away as she understood what he was talking about. He didn't want to have to tell her this, but it was something she needed to understand. "She knows that we're not together, so she will just leave. There is nothing keeping her here."

Charlie hated hearing him talking about another woman. Jealousy had never affected her much in the past, but with Brax it was different. She wanted him, all of him and only her.

Brax let go of her hand, placing his hand under her chin to turn her face towards him. Their eyes locked and he smiled.

"I don't need Tegan in my life anymore. Me and you...this is it for me." He told her, hoping that she would understand how he felt. The smile which eventually crept onto her face told him that she did. "I'll take care of it. Me and you are all that matter." He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. She melted into his arms, never wanting to let go.

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><p>Brax couldn't hide his smile as he made his way home from Charlie's. He finally had the woman of his dreams and he couldn't have been happier. He dreaded facing Tegan, she was fiery at the best of times. He knew that the quicker he got rid of the problem, the quicker him and Charlie could fully be the couple he had longed for them to be.<p>

He tried to remove his smile as he entered the house. Heath looked up from the couch, a knowing smile on his face. Glancing around the living room, Brax saw that the coast was clear. At least for now.

Grabbing a beer out of the fridge, he took a seat beside his brother.

"So?" Heath questioned. Brax just looked at him and Heath smiled. "It's about bloody time!"

Brax's smile returned once again. Taking a long sip of the beer, he knew he couldn't put the inevitable off for much longer. "Where is she?"

"Bedroom. She came out earlier looking for you. I told her something had happened at Angelo's and you'd be back soon. If she takes another one of my beers, I'm going to throw her out myself." Heath warned, finishing off the remainder of his drink and placing it beside two empty ones on the coffee table.

Walking into his bedroom, Brax closed the door quietly behind him. Tegan, who was laying on the bed flicking through a magazine, glanced up at him and smiled.

"I've been waiting for you to come back." She sat up on the bed, tapping the space beside her for him to sit.

He declined the invitation and remained by the door. "We need to talk."

Tegan sensed the change in his attitude. Time to grovel. "Look I'm sorry for not staying away from her. I promise I won't do it again." She smiled at him, but his face remained straight. "Why don't you come here and I'll show you just how sorry I am..." She purred at him, her smile suddenly fading as he refused to move away from the doorway. "What's the matter?"

"You need to leave."

"Leave? Leave where?" The surprise was evident in her voice. This was the last way she thought this conversation would go.

"Summer Bay. First thing tomorrow, you need to go back home." He told her, turning to make his way out of the room. She stopped him before he could get there.

"Brax, babe, I get that you are annoyed at me but I've apologised. You don't have to do this, I get that I screwed up. I do." She reached out to touch his arm, trying to turn him to face her but he moved out of her reach.

"Tegan, we both knew what this is. What this was. But it ends now. You need to leave." He knew he was being harsh, and if it had been anyone else he wouldn't have spoken to them in this way. Tegan wasn't like everyone else. You had to be abrupt with her or you'd get no where.

She was quiet for a moment as it dawned on her. She couldn't believe she'd missed it. Rushing out late at night; coming home with a change of heart. She should have noticed it sooner.

"Buckton got to you, didn't she?" She spat, glaring harshly at him. When he didn't answer her, she continued. "So what? She showed you a little attention and now you think you can just forget about everyone else? I was there for you Darryl, and this is how you repay me?"

We both knew what this was when it started. Don't try and fool yourself that this was something more..."

Tegan turned her back to him as she started throwing her things into a bag. He watched as she moved around the room, feeling a small sense of relief wash over him.

"You can sleep in here tonight, I'll take the couch." He opened the bedroom door but her voice stopped him in the doorway.

"You'll come back to me, Brax. You always do." She promised him but he shook his head as he turned to her.

"Not this time." He couldn't contain his smile as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Bianca took a sip of her drink, staring excitedly at her best friend. Charlie's excited early morning phone call to her best friend had resulted in the two of them meeting for breakfast. Her excitement had been contagious, and Bianca now couldn't keep the smile from her own face.<p>

"So then what happened?"

Charlie put down her coffee cup as she thought back to the previous night's events. "And then he kissed me." She gushed, feeling her cheeks glowing slightly. Bianca squealed as her hand came up to cover her mouth. Charlie grinned back at her.

"And?"

"I didn't realise it was even possible to be kissed like that. It was just perfect..." Charlie realised that she was swooning, but part of her didn't care. She was happy and wanted the world to know it.

"It's about time. I am so happy for you." Bianca reached across the table and gave Charlie's hand a squeeze.

"Thanks. I'm happy for me too!" Charlie joked as she took a sip of her coffee.

"You just couldn't keep your hands to yourself, could you?" The voice from behind her caused Charlie to jump. The tone was harsh to say the least.

Bianca glanced up from her coffee, glaring at the blonde woman who had just joined them. "I'm sorry, but who the hell are you?" She snapped back, jumping to her friend's defense.

Charlie rolled her eyes as she looked up at Tegan. "Bianca, this is Tegan. Brax's ex."

"Oh. Sucks to be you today." Bianca snorted, earning a laugh from Charlie.

Tegan turned her attention to Bianca, a snarl holding onto her lips. "I'm sorry...was I talking to you?"

"Well you were yelling at my friend, so yeah, I guess you were talking to me." Bianca replied sarcastically. Charlie mouthed 'thank you' at her before turning to Tegan.

"Brax has made his choice."

"For now. He'll come back to me, he always does." She gave Charlie one final glare before storming out of the Diner.

Charlie turned back to Bianca and the two of them burst into laughter, part from nerves, part from anger.

"So that was..."

"Yeah." Charlie nodded, returning her attention to his coffee.

Charlie sighed a breath of relief. Tegan was gone. Her and Brax were together. Nothing else even mattered.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey :) **

**Thank you all so much for your lovely comments! I'm so happy that the last chapter went down so well, I couldn't put them off getting together for much longer ;) **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy the date...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

Dress casual. That's all the note had said. The note which had arrived at her door early that morning attached to a dozen red roses. The roses were now decorating a vase in her bedroom, the scent catching her senses as she walked past. It had only just turned lunch time and Charlie was already beginning to hate having a day off. Being at home meant that she had all the time in the world to agonise about her upcoming first date with Brax. Anticipation had long ago mixed with nerves, although deep down the excitement still lingered underneath. How could it not; Charlie Buckton finally had a date with Darryl Braxton. She quickly realised that spending all day staring at her wardrobe wasn't getting her very far, Charlie decided to abandon the outfit search and get some fresh air.

After strolling along the beach for close to an hour, she found herself standing outside the Surf Club. She knew that Angelo was still out of town for a couple of more days so there was no risk of running into him, should she decide to venture up the stairs. Smiling to herself, she went inside.

Brax had decided that his best bet for that day was to keep himself busy. He had planned everything as best as he could. Now all that was left to do was wait for the big date. That was proving to be easier said than done. He checked his watch every two minutes, but time seemed to be standing still. He had to keep telling himself that he had waited this long for her; a couple of more hours wouldn't hurt. He knew it was right but somehow his reasoning didn't remove the burning desire he had to see her.

"Here's the wine for table five." He told the waitress, handing her a bottle of red and two glasses on a tray. He was doing whatever he could to stay focused on something else; that currently involved sorting out the drink orders.

He was about to begin the next order when his attention settled on the door. His face broke out into a smile as the object of his thoughts weaved her way through the restaurant and stopped at the bar.

"Hey you." She returned his smile as she took a seat at the bar.

His eyes locked onto hers as he leant on the bar towards her. Her eyes were glowing. "Hey yourself. I may have just been thinking about you..." He confessed, his smile growing slightly.

"Oh really?" He nodded in response. "I got the flowers. Thank you, they were beautiful."

He reached across the bar and took her hand in his, holding it gently in his own. "You are more than welcome." He gave her hand a squeeze before bringing it up to his lips and placing a small kiss on her knuckles. "So not that I don't like the surprise, but what brings you here?"

"I was just passing and wanted to see you. Also...dress casual? Do you know what that means to a woman?" He shook his head, the smile never leaving his face. "Exactly, it means nothing." She deadpanned, which only caused him to laugh.

"You came here to discuss clothes with me?" He teased, his left eyebrow arched.

Charlie rolled her eyes at him. "No, but a little help would be nice. If I knew what we were doing I'd know how to dress appropriately..." She offered, but the smile on his face told her that he wouldn't budge.

"Would you like a glass of wine while you're here?" He let go of her hand and stepped away, taking a glass from under the bar and smiling at her.

She laughed lightly as she shook her head. "You're really not going to help me out here, are you?"

Placing the empty glass down in front of her, he shrugged. "You will look beautiful no matter what you decide to wear. However, if you would like for me to spoil the lovely evening that I have planned...I could divulge some information?" He could see the temptation in her eyes and it took him all his strength to not start laughing. He kept his face straight, making sure she knew that he meant business.

She held his gaze for a moment before gently pushing the empty wine glass towards him. "I guess a glass of wine would be nice." She mumbled, sheepishly glancing away from him. The sound of his laughter brought the smile instantly back onto his face.

"Right answer." He walked away, returning a few seconds later with her drink.

They had agreed on 8pm for the mystery date to begin. Charlie had watched him work while she finished her wine, the occassional conversation taking place when Brax could get away. She had tried in vain again to get any clue about even the location of the date, but all he would tell her was that he would be picking her up.

Bianca had turned up a little after 6 to help Charlie get ready. The bedroom had certainly seen better days. Clothes and shoes littered the floor as Charlie had frantically tried on numerous outfits. Bianca had suggested a few ensembles, but Charlie had dismissed each option. She now had twenty minutes before Brax was due to arrive and despite her hair and make up being immaculate, she was still wearing her pyjamas.

"You can never go wrong with a dress..." Bianca spun around from the wardrobe holding a pale blue summer dress. "Throw on a pair of sandals, and you have an outfit." Charlie pulled a face as she studied the dress. Bianca couldn't help but roll her eyes. "He's going to be here any minute. Unless you want his lasting impression of you to be in _that_ kind of sleepwear, I'd put this on." She tossed the dress towards Charlie and threw herself down onto the bed, amongst the piles of dismissed clothes.

Charlie picked up the dress and sighed. "I'm overthinking it, aren't I?"

Bianca nodded enthusiastically as she smiled. "Although to be fair, if I had a date with Darryl Braxton I may overthink it a little too..." She winked, ducking quickly as Charlie threw a bunch of clothes at her.

"You're not supposed to be perving at my date."

Bianca smirked. "If you don't hurry up and get changed, I'll happily go in your place."

Charlie glared at her as she quickly changed into the dress. After slipping on the matching sandals, she ran her hands through her wavy hair, letting it fall naturally around her face. Holding her hands out at her side, she smiled.

"So, how do I look?" She thought she'd gotten rid of her nerves, but now that she was dressed and ready to go, her resolve was beginning to crumble.

Bianca returned her smile. The dress was perfect; casual but not too casual. "You look beautiful." She gushed, causing Charlie to grin goofily.

"I am so nervous." She shyly admitted as she checked her appearance one final time in the mirror.

Bianca stood up, walking over to stand beside Charlie. She smoothed down the back of her hair, before resting her hands on her shoulders. Giving her a small hug, she looked over Charlie's shoulders into the mirror, her reflection smiling back at her friend.

"I have seen the way he looks at you. You could wear a paper bag and he would still look at you in that sickly gooey way that he does." Charlie raised her eyebrow as she turned her head to the side to stare at Bianca. "Ok, maybe it's not sickly...but my point is, he likes you. No need to be nervous." She gave her a sweet smile as she moved past her and picked a bottle up from the dressing table. "Perfume...and then you are done!"

Twenty minutes later, Charlie sat alone in the living room, waiting not too patiently. Bianca had slipped out a few minutes earlier, her parting words being for Charlie to enjoy herself. At 8pm on the dot, a gentle knock on the back door made her heart pound.

Showtime.

Reaching the door, she opened it and smiled. Part of her still couldn't believe that Darryl Braxton was on her doorstep, waiting and wanting to take her out on a date.

"Hi." It came out as a whisper as his eyes scanned her body. _Beautiful_. "Wow, you look amazing."

She couldn't help but blush as she felt his eyes studying every inch of her. "Hey. And thank you."

His choice of black trousers and a white shirt buttoned to just above his chest, gave little away about the evening's activities, but her she immediately noted how hot he looked. Realising that she had been staring at him for a little longer than may have been deemed acceptable, she cleared her throat and smiled.

"Shall we go?" He nodded at her question, holding out his hand for her to take. As she accepted, her eyes fell onto his other hand and she paused. "Oh, I'll just grab a jacket. I didn't think..."

Before she could move away from him, he took hold of her hand and stopped her. "This is for you." Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she lingered in the doorway. He linked their fingers together, giving her hand a small squeeze. "It's hardly romantic if you have to be wear your own coat if you get cold..." As he blushed at his own words, Charlie bit down on her bottom lip, trying her hardest not to squeal with excitement. They hadn't even left the house yet and the romantic gestures were already in full swing.

"Ok. After you." She ran her thumb over the back of his hand as she followed him out of the house.

They were walking, that much she knew. Whereever they were going, it had to be local. Brax still refused to give anything away as he led the way. They remained hands linked as they walked, the conversation flowing easily, interrupted occasionally by Charlie's questions.

"Are we nearly there?" She asked playfully, knowing that her constant questions were getting on his nerves. She was excited to see what he had planned and she could no longer hide it. She had to remove her smirk as he came to a standstill in the middle of the road.

"Yes, we're here." He turned to face her, his face straight and expressionless.

She gazed at him in surprise before glancing around at their location. Nothing. Her mouth slowly dropped. "We are?" She looked back at him as his face broke into a very sarcastic smile.

"Yes, Charlie. For the first date with the woman of my dreams, I have chosen to bring her to the middle of a road. Not just any road, but _this_ particular road. I hear it's the most romantic spot in Summer Bay!" The sarcasm had laced through his voice, matched with the sly smile he was now wearing. He stared back at her, watching as her eyes fell to the floor and a sheepish smile tugged at her lips.

"Ok, I won't ask anymore..." She whispered but when Brax didn't carry on walking, she looked back up at him. He just shrugged.

"I was being serious, we are here." He tried his hardest to keep his face straight, but the stare she was giving him was too adorable and he found his face softening. "Ok, we're not here but I was trying to prove a point..." He trailed off, throwing her one last smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and continued walking.

She smiled as she leant into him. "Point well and truely proved. I'll be quiet now..."

Feeling a moment of boldness, he leant over and kissed the top of her head, pulling her slightly closer into his body.

They walked for a few more minutes, this time in silence, before Charlie realised that they were walking parallel to the beach. She risked a glance at Brax to see that he was smiling to himself. Darkness had fallen over the sand a little over an hour ago, but there was a small amount of moonlight making it's way through the clouds.

She was slightly taken aback as he turned slightly, guiding them towards the beach. She didn't make any comment, choosing to trust instead in the knowledge that he had planned something special. However, as she glanced both ways up the beach, she was failing to see what that could possibly be.

The sound of the waves lapping the shore filled the evening air. Charlie sighed contentedly as she made a mental image of this night. It was something she had never imagined would happen, but now that it was happening right in front of her eyes she didn't want the dream to ever end.

The next five minutes were spent walking to the far side of the beach. As they got nearer, Charlie began to notice faint light coming from the distance. It was hard to make out what it was at first, but as they got within a few metres of the lights, Charlie felt a warm feeling in her chest. If she had thought that the evening was romantic a few moments ago; the game had just been upped. In amazement, she turned to Brax, who was smiling brightly at her.

"Is this really for us?" A mixture of surprise and adoration took hold of her voice, although in fairness she was surprised that any sound had come out. His plan for the evening had touched her.

"Of course it is. Do you like it?"

She glanced back at the huge picnic blanket which had been placed onto the sand. Cushions and blankets were scattered on top, around an open picnic basket with two wine glasses beside it. Candles of various sizes and colours were placed around the blanket, providing the lighting for their own private dining area.

Her smile continued to grow. "I love it. It's perfect." She placed a soft kiss on his cheek before she sat down. He took a seat beside her, immediately opening the wine and pouring them both a glass.

"I'm glad." He handed her a glass and raised his own for a toast. "To new beginnings." He smiled at her as she clinked her glass against his.

"New beginnings." She whispered, taking a sip of the white wine. "But wait, you came to pick me up tonight...how did you pull this off?"

"I may have had a little help." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Heath has some good uses, occassionally."

Charlie laughed a little. "I'm sorry, that sounded like you said Heath?" Brax nodded. "Heath helped you plan this perfect, romantic evening?"

"No, the planning was all me. He just helped put it into motion." He smiled as he placed his glass down beside him and began remove the food out of the basket. He wouldn't volunteer the information, but if she asked he would admit that he hadn't actually cooked the food himself. Leah had been more than happy to help him with the culinery side.

Charlie didn't seem to want to question it though as she watched him place the containers out on the blanket in front of her. The sound of the waves played quietly in the background, bringing a smile to her face. The evening was as perfect as it could get, and it had only just started.

"This all looks amazing!" She commented as they began dishing food out onto plates.

The conversation continued while they ate. Even though they had been friends and Brax knew tidbits about her life, he was eager to know more. As though he didn't know her, he asked her the standard first date questions; where she grew up, when she first moved to the Bay, when and why she joined the police. Some of the questions he was already aware of the answers, but he wanted to make sure that he knew everything about her; something which Charlie had been all too willing to help with.

After they finished eating, Brax put everything back into the basket while Charlie topped up their drinks. Once the basket had been cast aside, they were now side by side on the blanket. Charlie was laying back, propping herself up with one elbow while her other hand held her drink. She glanced up at the sky. The clouds from earlier on had disappeared, leaving a clear sky which was dotted with bright stars.

Brax sat beside her, stealing glances at her when he thought she wouldn't notice. He couldn't believe he had actually gotten his wish, well two wishes. He had kissed Charlie Buckton, and was now on a date with her.

"This has just been amazing. You realise you've now set a pretty high bar for our second date, right?" She asked him, turning her attention from the sky to him. The flirty glint in her eyes was accompanied by a small smile.

"I get a second date?" His stomach had flipped with excitement. This woman effected him in ways he was sure she didn't know.

"If you want to of course. But it's gonna be tough trying to top this..." She joked, taking a sip of her wine before placing the glass on the sand beside her.

He sighed as he leant closer towards her, their faces now inches apart. "You just have to show up." He gave her a final smile before closing the gap between them with a lingering kiss.

_Perfect._


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey!**

**I am so sorry for how long it has taken me to post this. Writing another story and just writing things in general just seemed to get in the way, and I kinda hit a bit of a wall with it, but I think I'm past it now (I hope). **

**Anyways...enjoy...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15 <strong>

It may have been the greatest nights sleep of her life. Images of beaches, candles and a certain Braxton had invaded her dreams, resulting in her waking up with the hugest smile on her face. Realising that it wasn't just a dream, that she had actually been on an official date with the man from her dreams, Charlie found it difficult to rid the smile from her face. Not that she minded. If she had her way, every morning would be started with this euphoric feeling. Bouncing out her bedroom, smile still intact, she headed towards the kitchen.

Ruby stood hunched over the breakfast bar, her back to Charlie. Silently creeping in, Charlie wrapped her arms around her daughter's waist, causing the brunette to jump.

"Good morning my favourite daughter." Charlie beamed at her as she pulled her backwards into a hug.

"You scared me." Ruby glared at her, causing Charlie to laugh lightly. "And for the record...I'm your only daughter."

"Doesn't mean you're not my favourite." Charlie retaliated with a shrug, her smile never waivering.

It was then that the object on the breakfast table caught her attention. Releasing Ruby from her grip, she edged nearer to get a better look.

"Ruby, these are beautiful." Her hand moved gently over them, the silky sensation caressing her fingertips. Leaning her face in slightly, she inhaled the crisp fragance. "And they look expensive. Casey's definitely going to be in your good books today."

"They're not for me." Ruby laughed as she moved away from her mother, returning to her cup of coffee which was cooling on the side.

"They're for me?" She whispered, her heart beginning to pound in her chest. She thought that last night was as perfect as it got, but clearly that was just the tip of the iceburg when it came to Daryl Braxton. The man never failed to amaze her.

"Yeah, someone delivered them for you this morning. There's a card." Ruby offered, watching as Charlie gazed happily at the flowers.

She didn't have to read it to know who they were from, but regardless Charlie reached across and pulled the small white envelope from in between the dozen roses.

**Charlie, **

**Last night was amazing. **

**I'm thinking of you. **

**Brax x **

She read the four lines multiple times as she chewed at her bottom lip. The urge to start screaming like a loved up teenager and running around the room was hard to resist, but somehow she managed to contain her glee. Running her fingers over the handwritten words, she smiled as she placed the note back in the envelope and into her back pocket.

Ruby poured her a cup of coffee. "So, I take it the date went as planned?"

Accepting the drink, Charlie took a sip as she nodded. "It went better than planned. Fantastic, even." She fell silent for a moment as her mind whirled with the events of the past twenty four hours. She was being romanced by Brax, an experience which she was sure she didn't want to end. "Have you got much planned for today?" She eventually broke her own silence.

Ruby walked around to the fridge, leaning against the open door as she studied it's contents. She groaned to herself as she closed it and focused her attention back on Charlie.

"Nothing much. I was going to just hang out here for a little while. Maybe go and see Casey later on."

"Well how about we go and do a bit of shopping? My treat?" She offered, laughing lightly as Ruby's face lit up. She knew that the combination of her great mood, Ruby and a bunch of clothes shops would probably be bad for her bank balance, but at this moment in time, she really didn't care.

"Oh..ok! Let me go and get changed." Ruby beamed as she walked quickly towards the kitchen door. "Remind me to send you on dates more often." She joked, pausing in the doorway. Charlie glared at her and she quickly retreated out of sight.

* * *

><p>Four hours later, and many Australian Dollars lighter than Charlie had originally planned, they walked into the Diner, their hands filled with bags of many colours and sizes. Dumping their goods on the floor beside an empty table, Ruby flopped down onto the chair, closely followed by Charlie. They were beat.<p>

"Remind me, never to take you shopping again." Charlie sighed, resting her head in her hands as she tried her best to stiffle a yawn.

Ruby shrugged innocently. "It wasn't my fault that there were so many shops. It would have been rude for us not to go in..." She smiled sweetly at her mother but Charlie just rolled her eyes. "Besides, don't think I didn't notice what you bought..." Her smile was quickly replaced with a smirk, much to Charlie's dismay.

"What?" She frowned along with her response.

"The black, lacy underwear. No three guesses who they are for..." She teased. Charlie's mouth fell as her cheeks darkened. She reached across to playfully punch Ruby, but Ruby managed to quickly move out of her attack.

"I needed new underwear. I bought them for myself." She avoided Ruby's gaze, choosing instead to gaze around the Diner. She wished that her cheeks would stop burning, although the feeling of Ruby's intense stare was doing nothing to help the situation.

"Uh-huh. $55 for your own viewing pleasure?" The reply was dripping with sarcasm and disbelief.

Opting to ignore her daughter's comments, Charlie stood up from the table. "Just the usual?"

Keeping her eyebrow raised, Ruby smiled up at her. "Sure."

Returning a couple of minutes later with their drinks, Charlie took a seat opposite her. "Are you going to behave now?"

Ruby blew into her drink, fluttering her eyes at Charlie. "Always." Charlie scoffed at the answer but choose not to comment any further.

Thirty minutes later, their cups were empty and they decided to call it a day. After gathering up their collection of bags, they headed towards the door and froze. Charlie felt the same goofyness which she felt that morning as his smile washed over her.

"Charlie, hey!" He too was paused in the doorway, his eyes firmly glued on her.

"Hi." She returned his smile, the pounding of her heart resonating in her head.

Ruby watched the exchange or lack there of between the two and tried her best to stiffle her laughter. After a couple of moments, Brax realised that Charlie wasn't alone and turned to smile at her daughter.

"Hi Ruby. How are you?" He risked another glance at Charlie as he waited for her response.

"I'm ok thanks, Brax. I'm gonna head back home, I'll take these." She reached over and took the shopping out of Charlie's hands. "I'll meet you back home." She smirked at Charlie before moving past them but paused a second later. "Hey Brax?" She waited until she had his attention before continuing. "What are you thoughts on the colour black?" She asked, her face straight.

Charlie's eyes grew wide as she felt the colour disappear quickly from her face. Brax observed her curiously, glancing briefly at Charlie who was busy glaring at the younger Buckton.

"Uhm..."

"Ruby, I'm actually going to kill you. You're so grounded." Charlie threatened, taking a step towards her daughter.

"Yeah...I'll just see you at home." Ruby muttered, turning on her heels and dashing out of the Diner and as far away from her mother as she could get.

"Do I want to know what that was all about?" Brax asked, laughing lightly as he ordered two coffees.

"No. It was just Ruby realising that she doesn't actually value her freedom. Or her life for that matter." Charlie joked, making a mental note that she would get her own back. Somehow, someway.

After paying for the drinks, Brax handed her a cup as they headed outside. They walked in silence for a few minutes, both waiting for the other to speak first. Eventually Charlie took the first step.

"Thank you for the roses. They were beautiful. I'm gaining quite the rose collection..." She trailed off, her voice light, with a slight flirty undertone. Her mind drifted back to the 24 roses which she now had to remind her of the man standing in front of her. That, and the perfect note which had accompanied them.

Their walk came to a stop at the fence to the top of the beach. Charlie leant against the wooden barrier, with Brax standing a couple of feet in front of her.

"I'm glad you liked them. Although it looks like I'll have to change my gift choices in future..." He took a tentative step towards her. "I meant what the card said..." His eyes held hers, which were now sparkling as they studied his face. The ghost of a smile played on his lips as he took another small step towards her, effectively closing the space between them.

"Yeah. I had a great time." She returned his smile, her lips briefly darting from his eyes down to her lips. Unsubconsciously, she ran her tongue across her bottom lip as he moved that little bit closer to her. He was now only inches away from her. Reaching across, her free hand grabbed a fistfull of his black shirt as she pulled his into her. "A really great time." She whispered against his lips, before claiming them with her own.

The ocean roared behind them, the sound taking Charlie back to the previous evening. Although they had kissed before, on more than a couple of occassions, today felt different. Even though they were still exploring each other, there was a small sense of familiarity. They were slowly getting used to one another; the feeling of his lips on hers, the taste of her in his mouth, the small moan which escaped her lips as he deepened the kiss.

Reluctantly, the kiss came to an end, both of them slightly breathless. "I don't think I could ever get enough of kissing you." Brax admitted, immediately feeling embarrassed at his admission but the smile on her face eased his doubts.

"I can live with that..." She replied, a small wink leaving her right eye. She placed a chaste kiss on his lips, her hand resting lightly on her chest. Her fingers moved gently over his shirt, picking idly at the fabric. "So, I'm not too sure if it's a little too soon to be thinking about a second date..." She questioned, her eyes slowly raising to meet his once again.

"Definitely not too soon. I have to work for a couple of hours...but I'm free tonight?" He offered and she smiled.

"Ok. I'll see what I can arrange. I'll walk you to work..." She gave him a kiss on the cheek as she pushed herself up off the fence, smiling as his arm immediately wrapped her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head as he pulled her further into his side. Her arm wound him, resting on his lower back.

They had taken a couple of steps before a voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Well, you two sure as hell wasted no time." Hateful. Sarcastic. Spiteful. He was back.

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? The next chapter won'<strong>**t be as long a wait...**

**Thanks for the reviews so far 3**


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